The Day After
by D. Taina
Summary: It's the day after Superman Returns. Superman has awakened from his coma, but he's still not feeling well. As Clark Kent, he's feeling even worse, so Lois Lane takes him into her home and gets the surprise of a lifetime... Complete!
1. Chapter I

Hey everyone! Before you read the fic, let me introduce myself. My name is D. Taína. My native language is Spanish, so if you run into any grammar errors, that's the reason. I'm always trying to improve my English, so if you notice anything wrong, don't hesitate to let me know! 

This is the first time I post a Superman fic to the site. It's also the second story I've ever written about him. I hope to post the first one soon. Anyway... 

I usually write stories about Gargoyles, but I'd been going through a major writer's block for years. Nothing seemed to cure it. Well, I absolutely fell in love with the movie "Superman Returns," and I figured... since I like the movie so much, and I've been suffering from writer's block for years, maybe writing for a different fandom will help me get over it! So here's the result. 

I had no real plot in mind when I started writing the fic. I was coming up with the story as I wrote along, hoping that being spontaneous would cure my writer's block. There will definitely be some surprises in store for you. Heck, I don't even know what's going to happen! 

And I've rambled long enough. Sit back, enjoy the fic, and please review! 

EDIT: I've re-uploaded the story with some corrections! 

**Superman Returns  
"The Day After"**

Chapter I 

Clark Kent slowly made his way into the newsroom, ready for another day at work. As usual, nobody paid attention to him as he slowly walked to his desk, bumping into people and biting back hisses of pain. He mumbled an apology every time he bumped into someone, even though he just wanted to scream. Why did his wound still hurt so much? 

He'd awakened from his coma the night before and he had yet to regain his full strength. To top it all off, he hadn't slept a wink. He still hadn't found an apartment and he'd been sleeping in outer space for short periods since he got back, but he couldn't do that last night. He was so weak; he worried that being in outer space for prolonged periods of time would be dangerous. Also, he was up all night thinking about Jason and his future with Lois. 

Even flying to the sun didn't help as much as he hoped it would. He sighed and resigned himself to his fate. His wound would take time to heal. And then there was his broken spirit. He'd never felt pain like this before. It was a whole new experience for him. At least he could learn from it… 

He slowly sat down at his desk, squeezing his eyes shut and biting back a cry of pain. He planted his elbows on his desk and buried his face in his hands. He should've called in sick today, but well… he missed work on Friday and he couldn't afford to be absent from work another day. Thank goodness he had the weekend off. 

He rubbed his temples, groaning low under his breath. He was miserable. He needed a bed… now. What he wouldn't give for a bed… 

His eyes had started closing by themselves… until Lois sneaked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Smallville!" 

His eyes flew open and he jerked to a sitting position, something he regretted a split second later. He felt pain shoot up his back and it took every ounce of self-control in his being not to shatter the armrest. _OH MY GOD, the pain…_

Lois stared at him curiously. "Clark? You okay? I didn't mean to startle you like that!" 

"It's okay," he said, and his voice came out in a tiny whisper. "I just, um… uh… fell down a few days ago." _Boy, that was the understatement of the century._ "It still hurts." 

"Clark, you're a klutz, you know that?" she teased. 

"I know," he whispered, holding his right side, taking deep breaths. 

Lois watched him intently, then appeared to wave off a thought. "You look like you're having a rough morning. Tell you what; you sit right there… I'll go get you some coffee." He mumbled a 'thank you' and she left to get the coffee. He felt a silly smile forming on his face. This was the first time she got him coffee… 

He was dozing off again when Lois came back with the coffee and placed it on his desk. "Here's your coffee, Clark! Careful, it's scalding h--" 

He mumbled another 'thank you' and downed the scalding hot coffee all in one gulp. "Thank you so much, Lois. That's just what I needed." 

Her jaw dropped. "Clark?" 

"Yes, Lois?" he asked, pushing his glasses up. 

"That coffee was scalding hot," she said. He stared at her numbly, then looked as if something dawned on him and he contorted his face as if in great pain. He cried out and quickly fanned his mouth in an attempt to get Lois off his trail. 

She quickly patted him on the back. "Clark, maybe you should go home. Did you get any sleep last night?" She surprised herself by how much she cared about Clark Kent. Usually, she never gave him the time of day, but it pained her to see him like this, especially after seeing Superman in a similar predicament, albeit much worse… 

"No, no… I have a lot of work to do. I'll be okay. Really," he smiled at her. He let out a heavy sigh and his eyes closed by themselves again. 

Obviously, she wasn't going to let this one go. "Clark, did you sleep?" He looked at her, then bit his lip and averted his gaze. His silence told her all she needed to know. "You look like crap." He just mumbled incoherently, probably agreeing with her, then something hit her. "Did you find a place to live yet?" 

He sighed heavily. "No, I'm still looking." 

She sighed. "Oh, Clark. Why didn't you come to us if you needed a place to stay?" 

His eyes widened and he stared at her in disbelief. Was Lois offering to share his home with him? He could spend time with Jason… "I, uh… didn't want to be a bother." 

"It's not a bother. I'm sure Richard wouldn't mind either, but I'll talk to him either way." He nodded understandingly, though he felt a pang of jealousy inside. "But Clark, this can't go on. You're barely sleeping and you're tripping more often than usual," she said, the last part with a hint of a tease. 

"Thank you for the offer," whispered Clark as he tried to stay awake. 

"Mr. Kent!" Clark took a deep breath and let it out as Jimmy rushed over to greet him. "You disappeared on Friday and never came back! We didn't know what happened to you and… uh… Mr. Kent? Are you okay?" 

"Exhausted," he managed to say. And being still helped deal with the shooting pain in his side. He really shouldn't have sat up so quickly… 

"He fell down a few days ago. He's not feeling very well," said Lois with concern in her voice. It was so rare to see Clark in this state. He was always so healthy. 

"Was it on Friday? That'd explain everything," said Jimmy. 

Clark didn't say anything to that. Yes, it was on Friday, but he couldn't tell them the truth. They'd want him to go to a doctor or something. 

"Oh, I almost forgot! Chief wants to see you both!" 

With a heavy sigh, he slowly stood up, trying not to show any signs of pain, and slowly made his way into Mr. White's office. Lois followed close behind; surprised that Clark would take the initiative. _He's always so shy…_

He sat down heavily and bit back another hiss of pain. Oh god, he just wanted to go home. Maybe he could stay at his mother's until he was well… 

Lois sat down next to him, looking him over worriedly. There was something about him that reminded her of someone… 

"Kent! Snap out of it!" 

He jerked his head up and looked around wildly for a few seconds, then blinked furiously and stared at the angry boss before him. "I'm listening, Mr. White," he said, forcing his eyes to stay open. 

"As you know, Superman escaped from the hospital last night." Suddenly, Clark looked interested. "Lois, I want you to get me an interview with Superman. I want to know everything about his health, including information on who did this to him!" 

"Chief, I don't think Superman would appreciate…" but she was interrupted by Perry. 

"The public deserves to know! And Kent! I want you to find out who was responsible for that landmass that Superman threw into space." 

"Did it settle into orbit?" he asked groggily. 

"Where have you been, Kent? It was all over the news!" 

"Oh… Mr. White, I don't think I should go anywhere near that coast. The kryptonite…" He was so exhausted that he'd momentarily forgotten himself… quite literally. Clark Kent could never mention his aversion to kryptonite, and he went and did it anyway. 

"Kryptonite? So what, Kent? You're not Superman!" 

Lois could only stare at her coworker; the wheels in her head turning. Clark almost gasped in horror at what he'd just said to Perry, but thankfully, he was interrupted again. "The public needs to be informed, and you two are my best reporters. Got it, Lois? Kent? This is front page news! Get going!" 

"Yes, Chief," said Lois, eager to get out of there as soon as possible. She had a sneaking suspicion and she was going to get to the bottom of this. "Come on, Clark." Quickly, she stood up and walked out of Perry's office. 

He groaned under his breath and stood up slowly, then made his way out of Perry's office, clutching his aching right side. "Uh, Lois, I'll be back in a minute…" 

"Hurry back!" _I'm going to get to the bottom of this…_

He hurriedly made his way to the bathroom and, making sure that there was no one around, lifted his shirt and examined his stab wound in front of a mirror. Luckily, he saw no blood, but the area still had that sickly green color that worried him. Sighing, he tucked his shirt back into his pants and came out of the bathroom. 

He returned to his desk and sat down heavily. "So, Lois… How is Jason doing?" 

"He's doing great," she said. 

"And… Richard?" 

Lois turned to look at him. Was Clark jealous? It didn't make sense, but she could've sworn he sounded jealous for just one second. "He's fine. Why do you ask?" 

"Well, I haven't seen him today…" 

"Today's his day off." 

"Oh," he said, simply. He sighed. He wanted to see Jason, but if it was Richard's day off, then he probably wouldn't need to bring Jason to the Daily Planet. He was disappointed, but he tried not to let it show. 

"Clark… you really don't look so good," she said, worried. "Come on, I'll drop you off at my house and you can get some rest." 

He looked genuinely surprised, but extremely grateful at the same time. He truly felt as if he was going to pass out sooner or later and he needed to lie down. "Lois… I really don't want to be a bother…" 

"You won't be a bother. Besides, I've been feeling… charitable… ever since Superman put his life on the line for humanity. It kinda brings out the best in us," she said with a smile. 

_They only lack the light to show the way…_ he thought, and smiled broadly, even if she considered helping Clark Kent 'charitable'. "Thank you, Lois. It means a lot to me." 

"Don't mention it. Now let's go. I'll work on the Superman angle while you're off in Dreamland." He chuckled, then clenched his teeth as he stood up. He clutched his right side again and followed Lois into the elevator. 

She looked at him suspiciously as they entered the elevator. "So… did something happen to you during the earthquakes?" Why was his right side hurting? Why did he come to work on the same day that Superman left the hospital? The wheels were turning… 

"I told you, I fell… but it's nothing. I'll be fine," he said, leaning against the wall for support. He couldn't wait until they were outside. He desperately needed the sunlight to replenish his strength. 

"I see. Say, I wonder how Superman's doing," she said, abruptly changing the subject, startling Clark. "He escaped from the hospital and never went back. I hope he's okay." 

He groaned. "I'm sure he's… fine." 

"Really, he should've spent the night. They could've run more tests and found out if he was fit to leave the hospital…" 

_Oh god, this elevator is so slow… _Finally, he heard the elevator stop. He eagerly left the elevator, hoping to bathe in the sun's rays outside, if only for a moment. He went through the revolving doors and hurriedly stepped out of the building, only to discover… that it was cloudy. His jaw dropped. 

"Huh, looks like it's gonna rain…" she commented, glancing at him with a raised eyebrow. 

His body deflated right then and there. He was in a lot of pain, and his only relief was the sun… and it was cruelly blocked by gray clouds. He looked at Lois, who just smiled at him, and realized that he couldn't sneak off and fly away to greet the sun. Not to mention that he wasn't wearing the suit… 

"What's wrong, Clark?" 

"I really wanted to see the sun," he said, honestly and with a hint of sadness in his voice. 

"It's okay. YO, TAXI!" 

He took deep breaths to steady himself. The wound was throbbing and he felt great pain every time he moved. Oh, Lex Luthor would pay for stabbing him like that. He would see him behind bars… 

"Hey, Clark! Get in the cab!" 

Once they were both seated and on their way to Lois' house, he desperately looked out the window for a glimpse of the sun. But there was nothing. He felt his forehead and was surprised that he felt cold. He clutched his side even harder and tried not to think about the sun. He looked at Lois, who was talking to someone on the phone, and allowed himself to close his eyes and rest, if only for a moment. 

Later

She felt the car come to a stop. She looked over at Clark, who was slouched there with his mouth open, asleep. "Clark? Hey, Clark! Hello?" 

His eyes fluttered open. "Wha…?" 

"Wake up, sleeping beauty. We're here," she said, smirking. 

"Oh…" He discreetly tried to wipe away the drool that had pooled around the edge of his lips. Then he straightened his glasses and took a deep breath. "Uh… Lois, please, allow me to pay. It's the least I can do," he said as he unbuckled his seat belt. 

She glanced at him, and put away her wallet. "Well, if you insist," she said with a smile. 

He pulled out his wallet. "How much?" The driver told him, and so, he gave him the money and got out of the car. 

He stood in front of their house. He had seen it before, but it looked even more majestic from the ground. "You have a very nice house," he managed to say, even though he was in great pain. He wondered if Jason was inside, but to be honest, he just wanted to go to sleep. 

"Yeah, you should see the bill. Come on, I'll get the guest room ready for you." She led him to the couch and motioned him to sit down. "You want a drink or something?" 

He felt weak at the knees, so he quickly sat down on the couch and breathed a sigh of relief. "No, thank you," he said, and she left to get his bed ready. He just wanted sunlight, but he wouldn't have that until he could sneak away. And he was much too tired to make the attempt anyway. Even now, he could feel his eyelids closing. He bit back a cry of pain and clutched his side again. He looked at his hand and saw smudges of blood on it. His eyes opened wide and he just shook his head, disbelieving. 

He was so cold. His body was trembling and he felt a terrible weakness. He gasped for breath, and then dropped to the floor unconscious. 

A Few Minutes Later

"Clark, I got the guest room ready for you and… OH MY GOD!" She ran to his side and tried to shake him, but his muscles felt as hard as steel. She jerked her hands back and looked at him, confused. Since when was Clark so strong? 

She remembered that he had been complaining about his right side, so she turned him over and examined the area. She gasped when she noticed the smudges of blood on his shirt and she quickly removed his tie, jacket and shirt. She tossed them aside, and when she turned to look at him, she gawked at how chiseled his chest was. She let her eyes wander down his chest and to his torso. He was so incredibly well-built. Could it be…? 

She shook her head to clear it, and turned her attention to the wound. It was a greenish color and looked like a… stab wound? She gawked at him again. _You're Superman?_

She rushed to take off his glasses, the final piece of the puzzle, and as soon as she caught sight of his face, she dropped his glasses to the floor. _Oh. My. God._ All this time… Superman had been right under her nose and she never even noticed it! She felt angry at being deceived, but then she heard him moaning in pain, and her anger vanished… for now. 

"Ugh…" He slowly sat up and quickly grasped his side. "Where am I?" 

"You're in my house," she said, trying not to let her emotions show. 

"Oh… Gosh, I guess I must've fainted…" 

"You fainted," she stated, not believing how someone like Superman could faint. _He must be in serious pain… _

"Sorry," he murmured, and reached up to rub his eyes. He froze on the spot and his eyes opened wide, and she couldn't help but smirk to herself, if only for a little bit. 

He looked absolutely terrified. "My glasses… I… I can't see without my glasses!" He searched for them frantically one-handed, as the other was holding his side in pain, trying to hide his face from her the whole time. He wasn't particularly successful at it, seeing as how both his hands were busy. 

_Oh, PUH-lease… _She rolled her eyes as she watched him frantically search for his glasses as if his life depended on it. She saw them lying next to her and picked them up, dangling them from her hand, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction at having caught him red-handed. "Clark?" 

He looked at her while shielding most of his face with his hands, and saw the glasses in her hand. "Oh… Uh…" He quickly took them from her and shoved them on his face. He quickly averted his eyes, not daring to look at her. 

She didn't know what to think. But she did know one thing… he was hurt and she was going to help him. Now was not the time for questions. "Come on, get up." She helped him stand up, trying to ignore his cries of pain. "I'll take care of that." 

She was going to take him to the guest room, but she remembered that her room had a large window and that he would need the sunlight. So, she changed her course and took him to her bedroom, to which he visibly protested. 

"Lois, please, not your…" 

She didn't even let him finish. "It has a big window and the clouds should be clearing soon. You'll get the sunlight you need." He stared at her in horror for a moment, but she averted her eyes. "Just shut up and get into bed." 

She pulled the covers back for him and watched him take his shoes off and stagger into bed, holding his side in pain. She draped the covers over him and went to get her first aid kit. She sat next to him on the bed and ordered him to sit up. He quickly obeyed and she started cleaning the wound, but he hissed loudly and jerked away from her. 

"Oh come on! You're supposed to be Superman! You can take this!" 

"Lois, it's not that. It's the only vulnerable part in my body and it really hurts. The kryptonite…" He didn't need to say the rest. 

She was glad that he wasn't trying to hide the truth now. "I know this must be the first time in your life you're experiencing pain and all… but come on. Shut up and let me take care of you. And don't you dare move away again!" He complied, hissing in pain every time she touched him. He didn't feel much better physically. But Lois taking care of him, even when she was yelling at him to shut up, made him feel better emotionally. 

She finished cleaning the wound and looked him straight in the eye… or glasses. "Get some rest. We have a lot to talk about when you get up," she said coldly. 

"Lois, please understand, I… I…" He knew his secret was out in the open now, but he didn't know what to say to her. How could he tell her that he'd always dreamed of telling her the truth, but was afraid for her safety? How could he tell her that he didn't mean to hurt her? 

"We'll talk later," she said, and turned to leave. 

"Thank you," he said, truly grateful that she took care of him. 

She turned to look at him, and to his surprise, she walked back into the room. She stood next to him, staring at him, until she finally took the glasses off and placed them on the nightstand. She stared at him for a while with an unreadable expression on her face that unnerved him to the core, then left the room. 

He sighed helplessly. He wanted to talk to her, but to be honest… he was so exhausted that he just wanted to sleep. He curled up on the bed and tried to get comfortable. But he couldn't. It was the bed she shared with Richard. He wanted to go elsewhere, but he knew that, no matter how angry Lois was at him, she still wanted him to get better. He closed his eyes and before he knew it, he was asleep. 

Later

Lois was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of coffee, lost in her thoughts. Clark was Superman. How could she have been so blind? All this time, he'd been right under her nose. And he'd fooled her by, of all things, wearing a pair of glasses and saying 'swell' a lot. She was supposed to be a Pulitzer-Prize-winning reporter, but she couldn't even see past a pair of glasses. _Man, I feel stupid…_

This was the story of the century! She knew Superman's secret identity! She sighed deeply. Well, even if it was the story of the century, she couldn't do anything about it. But there was one thing she could do. As soon as he was well, they were going to have a serious talk about their relationship. And this time, she knew where to find him. 

She picked up her coffee mug, and noticed it was empty. She sighed and went to get more coffee, failing to notice Richard standing at the door with his arms folded over his chest. 

"Lois, why is Superman sleeping in our bed?" 

**To Be Continued**

OooOOooOooo! The plot thickens! Well, I'd really appreciate it if people left me reviews. I'm still new to the Superman universe and all! Thanks for reading and I hope to have the next chapter up in a few days! 

-DT 


	2. Chapter II

Wow, thanks for all the reviews, guys! You made my year! I never expected so many people to like the fic. Thanks a lot. So, as promised, here's chapter two. I hope it lives up to the original. If not, well... I've got great things planned for chapter three, so stick around! ;)

And, without further ado... here's the fic!

EDIT: I've re-uploaded the fic with some corrections!

**Superman Returns  
"The Day After"**

Chapter II

Richard just got home. Perry White offered to give them a few days off after what happened with the yacht, and while Lois decided not to take him up on his offer, he knew that he needed the time to sort a few things out. So, he spent the day visiting relatives and doing a little soul-searching aboard his plane. He'd seen Superman visit Jason the night before, and his mind was full of questions. Why was Superman visiting their son? Did Lois still have feelings for Superman? The unthinkable crossed his mind. Was Jason Superman's son? Had he been living a lie all this time?

He couldn't be angry with the guy, no matter how hard he tried. Superman saved them from drowning. He had also witnessed his nerve-wracking screams of agony when Lois pulled that kryptonite blade out of his back, not long before Superman nearly died to save humanity. No, he could never be angry with him. If Lois chose Superman over him, and Jason wasn't his son, then he'd gracefully step down and allow them to live their lives however they pleased. But that didn't make the pain go away.

He sighed. Man, he could use a cold shower to clear his head. Realizing that he'd been standing at the door the whole time, staring into space as he had his inner monologue, he finally unlocked the door and walked into the house. He closed and locked the door behind him and looked around. Nothing seemed out of place. Good, that meant that nothing had changed. Life would be normal for one more day.

He climbed the stairs and walked to the bedroom, where their personal bathroom was. He noticed someone in bed with the covers up to their head, and smiled. Lois must've been working on her new article, "Why the World Needs Superman," and decided to get some rest. She'd been working so hard on that article. Was she sorry that she ever wrote "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman"? He thought it was ironic that she was going to receive her Pulitzer Prize for that article on the day that Superman sacrificed his life for humanity. _The world really does need Superman… _

He sat down on the bed and flopped down to it, but there was something wrong. The bed felt different for some reason. Had Lois gained weight? Confused, he looked over at her, and saw the back of her head. What the… She cut her hair? He sat up abruptly and stared at her with wide eyes. Since when did Lois have such broad shoulders?

Then, like a gargoyle that fell off a building and crashed into an unsuspecting bystander, the horrible realization suddenly hit him. This was not Lois!

He jumped out of bed faster than he'd ever jumped. No, that was not Lois; that was a man! He gawked at the large form hidden under the covers. Was Lois cheating on him in their own bed? No, she wouldn't do something like that… would she?

He didn't want to think the worst, but he was running out of explanations. Well, there was only one way to find out, and it wasn't easy. Slowly, carefully, he creeped up to the slumbering form and reached for the covers. He held his breath as he grabbed the covers with two fingers and slowly pulled it down…

He was caught completely off-guard by what he saw. This was no ordinary man. It was Superman. Superman was sleeping in their bed. He gawked, his eyes bulging out of their sockets, at the sight before him. To his horror, he realized that he was bare-chested, and he didn't dare pull the covers down further. Superman was sleeping in their bed… naked.

He heard a low rumble, and he panicked and threw the covers over Superman's head. The last thing he needed was a very angry and very naked Superman coming after him! He stared at him for a moment, dreading any signs of movement, but was relieved to find none.

For a moment, he just stood there, staring at the slumbering form under the thick covers, unable to move, or even breathe. He couldn't believe that Superman was lying there naked. He slowly realized that he needed to stop gawking and had to get out of there while he still could. Without making a sound, he slowly backed out of the bedroom, watching him the whole time. That was when he noticed the pair of glasses sitting on top of the nightstand. _What the hell…_

Thoroughly confused, he quickly left the room and closed the door behind him. He leaned against the door, taking deep breaths, still taking it all in. Surely, there must be some kind of explanation! He'd just awakened from a coma, right? Maybe Lois was helping him or something. Hey, maybe he wasn't even naked! And there must be a perfectly reasonable explanation for why Superman was wearing glasses. Maybe the kryptonite weakened his eyes! Yes, yes, that's it. A perfectly reasonable explanation! He gave a short, breathless laugh.

Oh yeah, Lois had some explaining to do…

He had been willing to step aside gracefully if Lois chose Superman over him, but bringing him to their bed, and taking his clothes off and doing who-knows-what while he was away was not something he was prepared to tolerate.

He took a deep breath and marched down the stairs, trying to conceal his anger, but it was so difficult. He felt betrayed. He always knew that Lois had feelings for Superman, but to actually sleep with him while they were still together…! He forced himself to stop walking, take deep breaths, and count to ten. Maybe they didn't sleep together. Well, whatever had happened between them, he had a right to know.

He saw her in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee and looking lost in her thoughts. He leaned against the door frame, staring at her with narrowed eyes, waiting for her to notice him. She didn't; she only stood up and went to get more coffee, and he knew it was now or never.

"Lois, why is Superman sleeping in our bed?"

CRASH!

Even with the loud noise, he didn't move from his spot. He just stared at her, arms folded across his chest, telling her with his eyes that he wanted an explanation. He drummed his fingers on his arm and waited patiently.

Lois had dropped her coffee mug, startled out of her wits by Richard. She stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, then heaved sigh of frustration. "Oh my god, Richard!" she cried out, "You startled me!"

He startled her? He startled her?! Well, what about Superman scaring the crap out of him, huh? "That makes two of us. I mean, can you imagine my shock at finding the Man of Steel sleeping in our bed?" he asked rhetorically, emphasizing every other word, with a big, fake smile plastered on his face.

"Oh, you saw that, huh?" she asked, shaking her head as she looked for the handheld dustpan and began cleaning up the broken glass.

He stared at her, disbelieving. "Lois, I caught Superman sleeping in our bed and you act like nothing happened?!" he yelled, starting to lose his composure.

To his surprise, and slight anger, she still looked calm and collected. "Richard… he wasn't feeling well. He was in a lot of pain from that stab wound and incredibly weak. I put him in our room because it has a big window and he could get the sunlight he needs. He really needed to rest, so I let him have our room until he recovered. I figured you wouldn't mind!"

"…" He stared at her numbly, shaking his head slowly, with his mouth opening and closing. She actually thought he wouldn't mind. He couldn't believe it. "Lois…" he finally managed to say, in such a low whisper that even Lois had trouble hearing him, and he pointed in the direction of the bedroom. "He was naked!"

Lois dropped the dustpan upon hearing this and the broken glass scattered in all directions. "What?!!" she screamed, aghast, utterly stunned at Richard's words. "Oh my god, Richard! He was wearing pants! I only took his shirt off!"

"OH!" The pieces of the puzzle suddenly fell into place, after he'd jumbled them to form a completely different picture. Well… at least he knew that Superman wouldn't be chasing after him in anger in nothing but his birthday suit. Now there's a mental image he could've lived without… "Well… uh… what happened to his suit?" Was he trying to save face now? He shouldn't have been jumping to conclusions.

She sighed and started cleaning the broken glass again. "I don't know where his suit is. He was wearing something else, but don't ask me why. I don't know," she said, mentally patting herself on the back for telling Richard all he needed to know without actually lying. She couldn't tell him about Clark Kent being Superman. That was not her secret to tell. Once she was done cleaning, she dumped the broken glass in a trashcan and turned to look at Richard. She couldn't help but smirk at his embarrassment. _Poor thing must've thought the worst…_

"Well… is he going to be all right?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head.

Her smirk faded and was replaced by worry. "I don't know," she said with a sigh, "I thought he'd be healed by now. I mean, he's been exposed to kryptonite before, but it never took him this long to recover. Maybe he should go back to the hospital."

"Yeah, maybe," he said, then cleared his throat loudly, "Well, all I know is that he saved our lives and he's more than welcome to stay here for as long as he needs," he said with a genuine smile on his face.

She blinked, genuinely surprised, then smiled. "Thank you, Richard."

"And you know… he's Jason's hero. He'll be thrilled to meet him," he said, smiling, and waiting for her reaction. He had his doubts about being Jason's biological father and was looking for something, anything, that would give him some much-needed answers.

She almost lost her smile. "Yeah," she said, looking down, "He looks up to him. Superman's a great role model." She still hadn't told Richard that Jason wasn't his son. How could she ever tell him that all this time, he'd been living a lie? How could she make him realize that she truly believed Richard was his father and that she never meant to hurt him? How do you tell a man that his son isn't really his? She dreaded the thought of telling Richard, but she knew that she had to do it eventually. He had a right to know the truth, no matter how painful it was.

He sighed. Her response didn't shed any light on the subject. "Lois…" he started saying, then noticed the time. "I'd better go. Traffic has been a nightmare ever since the earthquakes hit, and Jason won't be happy if his parents are late to pick him up from school again," he said, grinning at her.

"Yeah, you'd better go," she said, trying to smile. "I'll see what I can do about waking up sleeping beauty. He'll want to meet Jason…"

"Sleeping beauty, huh? Just don't kiss him," he joked, and Lois stared at him blankly. Darn, now he wished he could take that back. "You know, sleeping beauty, kissing…" He looked at her expectantly, but her expression didn't change. He cleared his throat loudly and gestured to the door. "I'll, uh, go now!"

"Yeah… bye," she said, softly, not even looking at him. She'd kissed him at the hospital, but it was complicated. He'd been lying to her for years about his true identity, and then there was Richard and Jason. She looked at him again and saw the troubled expression on his face. They really needed to talk… but it wouldn't be today. She had a sick Superman to take care of… and yell at, of course. Oh yeah, she would definitely yell at him.

She watched as Richard turned and left, looking slightly dejected. She considered calling him back, but thought better of it and went to check on Superman.

She climbed the stairs to her room, lost in her thoughts. All this time, she realized, she didn't even know his name. How did he expect to have a relationship with her when he wouldn't even tell her his name? _Come to think of it… I really didn't know that much about him…_ He had always been shrouded in mystery, but now, she hoped, she would get to know him better… but not before yelling at him. She had many questions for him and he would not fly away this time. Oh yeah, she had him right where she wanted him.

She stood in front of her door, collecting her thoughts. She took a deep breath and let it out as she opened the door and walked into the bedroom. She noticed that he was completely hidden under the covers and she shook her head, smiling. It was so obvious that he and Clark were the same person now.

She took two steps toward him, and her heart reacted by beating faster. Why was she so nervous? He was asleep, and it wasn't like she could see him anyway. Why did she react this way every time she got close to him? _This is pathetic; I'm a grown woman! I'm not a giddy schoolgirl who just laid eyes on her crush…_

She saw the covers rising and falling with his breathing, and she couldn't help a silly smile from forming on her face. This was the first time she watched him sleep. Before today, she wasn't sure if he even needed to sleep. She felt like she was learning more about him with each passing second.

She sat next to him on the bed and pulled the covers down just about enough to see his face. After reminding herself that he was sick and she shouldn't be staring at him, she felt his forehead with the palm of her hand and frowned. He was usually so warm, but today, he almost felt cold. Not as cold as when he passed out, but still cold enough to cause her worry.

"Clark?" she whispered, happy that she finally knew his name.

He groaned low in his throat and, to her amusement, he grabbed the covers and pulled them over his head again.

"Come on, get up, sleepyhead." She pulled the covers down all the way and almost laughed at the sight before her. Superman, the Man of Steel, the greatest hero of their time, actually curled up into a fetal position and groaned loudly. She clamped her mouth shut and would've laughed, hard, if he hadn't been so sick. "Clark…" she said, slowly regaining her composure, "Jason's coming."

His eyes burst open. "Jason…" he whispered and a broad smile formed on his face. He was going to see his son! He quickly sat up and could hardly contain his joy. Oh, joy of… OW! He clutched his aching side and took deep, calming breaths.

Lois wanted to hold him, but she was still trying to tell herself that she was angry with him for deceiving her. And besides, she didn't want to give him the idea that he was off the hook. "You okay?" she asked, looking worried.

"I'll be fine," he said in a tiny whisper. He looked down at himself and noticed that he was only wearing pants. "I, uh… have to go get my suit." Lois had found out his secret, yes, but he didn't want Jason to find out, too. At least, not yet. He would tell him when the time came.

"Where is your suit anyway?" she asked. She still felt strange talking to Superman when he wasn't wearing the suit. He seemed… human without it.

"Oh… I left it with my mother," he said, smiling briefly, "She was going to fix the hole in the back." At the look on Lois' face, he elaborated. "From the stabbing."

"No, no… it's not that," she said, looking at him strangely, "It's just that… you have a mother? But I thought she died when Krypton exploded!"

He sighed, and she could tell that she'd struck a nerve. Damn it, he was making it really hard to stay angry with him! "I was raised by humans, Lois," he said, as he slowly left the bed, clutching his aching side. He reached for his shoes and put them back on, biting back hisses of pain every time he moved.

"I threw your shirt in the washer but it's not done yet," she said, trying not to look at him. Damn, he was so incredibly well built…

He turned to look at her. "Why did you do that?" he asked, then looked as if something dawned on him. "Oh, right." He cleared his throat loudly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… do you think Richard would mind if I were to borrow… uh… one of his shirts? Please?"

She couldn't believe how seamlessly he changed back and forth between personas. He was acting so much like Clark Kent that it was amazing. He looked so embarrassed that she could've sworn he'd just asked her to show him her underwear. "No, go ahead," she said, trying to keep herself from smiling. She watched as he staggered to the closet and her smile fell. "Uh, Clark… I really think you should go back to the hospital." She watched as he visibly stiffened and she bit her lower lip. She knew he wouldn't like the idea.

He sighed and began looking for a shirt. "I'll be fine. It's just taking time to heal." He found a shirt he liked that looked big enough for him and quickly put it on.

"Clark, you are coming back, right? We have a lot to talk about," she said, sternly.

"Yes, I'm coming back. I want to see my son," he whispered with a small smile on his face. He grabbed his glasses from the nightstand and put them on.

"Clark, Richard saw you without the glasses."

His entire body stiffened and he looked at her, horrified at the revelation. "He… he saw me? Richard saw me?"

"He doesn't suspect you're Clark Kent," she clarified. _He was more worried about finding you naked in my bed… _She wondered how Superman would react when she told him that little piece of information!

"Oh, that's good," he said, and took off his glasses. If Richard thought he was Superman, then he'd have to be Superman for the remainder of his stay. He sighed and stuffed his glasses in his pocket. He'd put them on later.

He walked to the window and stood in front of it, disappointed by the cloudy skies. He opened the window and turned to look at her. "I'll be back soon."

"You know, you could use the door…"

"I need to fly to the sun," he said. Then he looked out the window and… did absolutely nothing. His eyes widened in horror as he stood there, completely motionless.

"Uh, Clark… what are you waiting for?"

"…I… I can't fly."

**To Be Continued**

Oh, crap! What's going to happen to Superman? You'll find out... in chapter three! Please review!

-DT


	3. Chapter III

Once again, thanks for all the reviews, guys! I appreciate each and every one of them. Thanks for making me want to write again!

This is a minor thing, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. This story references the Richard Donner cut of Superman II. So, Zod and the other outlaws didn't die. They were sent to prison without their powers. Since we still don't know what the new ending for Superman II will be, I just went with the original ending, meaning the super-kiss. I'm also going by what Bryan Singer said in an interview, that Lois remembered sleeping with Superman but she couldn't remember his secret identity. I'm also going by the novelizations, meaning, that Superman never turned back time in Superman: The Movie. I know it's kind of confusing, but I promise to elaborate on this in future chapters!

Please read and review!

EDIT: I've re-uploaded the story with some corrections!

**Superman Returns  
"The Day After"**

Chapter III

"…I… I can't fly."

Lois stared at him in horror, disbelieving. He'd been about to fly out the window, but he just stood there as if he'd been anchored to the floor. She had been so angry with him for deceiving her all these long years, but now, she feared for his life. If Superman couldn't fly, then that meant he really was sick.

"What do you mean you can't fly!" she screamed, "What happened!"

He just stared out the window, hoping that his feet would leave the ground, but nothing happened. "Oh god," he whispered. He lowered his gaze and stared at the floor, shocked that his feet were still touching it. "I can't fly," he repeated, still in shock. The only times he couldn't fly was when he was suffering from kryptonite poisoning. His eyes widened in horror at the realization that maybe the lack of sunlight was making him relapse. And to make matters worse, he could no longer fly to the sun. _This is bad. This is really, really bad…_ He was mentally kicking himself for not sleeping the night before and for not calling in sick to work in the morning. Now he was paying the price and it terrified him.

"Does this have something to do with your missing suit…?" she asked tentatively. It didn't seem likely, but it couldn't hurt to ask.

He looked at her incredulously for a moment, then remembered that she didn't know much about his powers. He looked out the window again. "No, no… I can fly without the suit," he said, still staring blankly into space. He felt weak at the knees again, but he wasn't sure if it was because of the shock or because he really was getting worse. His entire body felt cold, except for the wound, which felt like it was going to burn a hole through his shirt.

"Okay, that's it. Sit down!" She rushed to his side and pulled him back to the bed. He didn't hesitate as she pushed him down on the bed and felt his forehead and face. "You're cold," she said, worriedly.

He unconsciously leaned into her hand, smiling, enjoying her warmth. He was so cold that feeling her warmth on his skin made him feel a lot better and helped him forget the pain. And besides, he couldn't remember the last time she had touched him so tenderly. He knew that she was with Richard, and he wouldn't dare break up their family, but just this once… he wanted to enjoy being close to her. Just this once, all was right in the world.

She stroked his cheek, then moved her hand to his hair and ran her fingers through his dark locks. She watched as he closed his eyes and appeared to become lost in a sea of memories. "Clark, you're going back to the hospital."

He was snapped back to reality with those words and he stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "What…! But, Lois… I…"

She didn't let him finish. "No buts! In case you haven't noticed, you can't even fly!" Clark gave her a 'what does that have to do with anything' look, but before he could speak in his defense, she interrupted him. "You can't fly to the sun! You're in serious danger! So get up!"

He really didn't want to go back to the hospital. He felt helpless when he awoke from his coma, stripped of his suit and wearing nothing but a hospital gown. No, he did not want to go through that again. "Lois, I just need to get out of the house and into the sun," he said, but he knew Lois wouldn't listen to him. He was hunched over in pain, speaking with a strained voice, and clutching his burning side.

The look she gave him shook him to the core, and then…

"We ARE going back to the hospital, SO SHUT THE HELL UP!"

He had fixed the San Andreas Fault, fought super-powered Kryptonians, lifted an island laced with kryptonite into space, and fell down to Earth and lived through it, but none of that could compare to the angry woman before him who looked like she was out for blood.

He quickly jumped out of bed and to his feet, not wanting to become the victim of Lois Lane's wrath. Immediately, he regretted the sudden movement and his mind reeled with agonizing pain that spread all over his being. He almost fell to his knees as his mouth opened wide, ready to scream, but he bit down on his hand instead. For a moment, he couldn't breathe, and his mind reeled with incoherent thoughts that he probably regretted later.

Lois, however, didn't notice him silently writhing in agony, which was just as well because he really didn't want her to see him like that. She grabbed her purse, then latched on to his free hand and led him away from the bedroom, down the stairs and out the door. "I know you don't want to go to the hospital, but it's for your own good!" She took him to her car that was stored away in the garage and fished in her purse for her keys.

Clark was about to complain, but he was still biting his hand as hard as he could to keep from screaming. Finally, after catching his breath, getting his pain under control, and becoming accustomed to the taste of his hand, he spoke in a voice filled with pain. "My suit," he whispered in a strained voice, still not ready to use complete sentences, "I need to get my suit."

"Would you forget about your suit? The doctors won't care about your suit!" She found her keys and proceeded to unlock the passenger door for him. "Here, get in the car." To her surprise, he just stared at her car incredulously. "What? You've never been in a car before?"

"…You have a car?" he said, staring at it, confused.

"Yes. Why so shocked?" she asked, and try as she might, she couldn't keep a smile off her face. _Maybe they don't have cars in Smallville! Hey, stranger things have happened…_

He looked like he was thinking really hard about something. "But… if you have a car, why do you always take a cab home?" He had seen her hail a cab home so many times that it shocked him to learn that she actually had a car. It just made no sense to him.

She stared at him for a moment before pushing him into the passenger seat. "You try finding a parking space in Metropolis!" He looked like he still didn't understand, but before he could ask her more questions, she buckled his seat belt for him. "Now hang in there!"

He groaned in frustration. Great, now he had to go to the hospital. And all because he didn't call in sick to work. What else was going to happen? "Lois, I'm fine. My powers will come back as soon as I get some sun."

"I don't care. You're going back to the hospital and that's that," she said as she put the keys in the ignition, started the car, and opened the garage door with the remote.

Clark watched as the garage door opened and he sighed in exasperation. He was in a lot of pain and the last thing he wanted was to have doctors try to prod him with needles again. "When I start wheezing from the kryptonite poisoning, then you can worry," he said, annoyed. "As soon as I stand under the sun, I will be… uh… Lois?" He noticed the look of horror on Lois' face and he instantly regretted mentioning the kryptonite poisoning. Now he wished he could turn back time and stop himself from saying those words to her, but it was too late.

He was helpless to do anything other than hold on to his seat as Lois slammed on the gas and sped out of the garage. She pressed the button on the garage remote and the signal just barely reached the garage door in time. "Kryptonite poisoning! You can't fly because of kryptonite poisoning!" she screamed, glancing at him briefly, "We have to get you to the hospital NOW!"

He watched as they sped out of the neighborhood and he squeezed his eyes shut, holding on to his seat and struggling not to rip it apart. _Oh god, what have I done! _Stupid, stupid, stupid. Of all the stupid things he could've said! _Oh, great idea, Clark… bringing up kryptonite poisoning in front of Lois Lane! Why not tell her that you could die if you don't get sunlight soon while you're at it? She'd love to hear that! _"Lois, please slow down!"

"Like hell I am!" she screamed, "You're not getting off that easy, pal! I still have to yell at you for all the years of lying to me!" She hit a curve at incredible speed and Clark Kent gripped the seat tighter.

"Lois, please!" he yelled, "I know you're angry with me, and you have every right to be, but please slow down!"

"I don't have to listen to you! You've lied to me! You've always lied to me! I didn't even know your name! I'm the mother of your child and I didn't even know your name!" She slammed on the brakes when she saw a red light and Clark Kent almost slammed headfirst into the air bag compartment.

Clark Kent thanked the heavens for the stoplight for a good while before he finally regained his composure and could speak again. "Lois, I couldn't tell you who I really was. Please, trust me, it was for your own safety!" If she was angry with him for not knowing his name, then he couldn't begin to imagine how angry she'd be when she learned that she did know who he was at the time they consummated their relationship. He still felt guilty about taking away her memories and he wished he could somehow set things right.

"And as if that wasn't enough…" Lois' words brought him back to reality, and he looked at her, dreading what she was going to say next. "You knocked me up and flew off to Krypton and left me all alone and pregnant! You didn't even have the decency to say good-bye!" she screamed at him with a cold edge to her voice that made him want to take on Lex Luthor again and a hundred kryptonite blades before having to face her.

"I couldn't say good-bye. If I did, then I never would've left! I had to go to Krypton!" he pleaded with her. He was in horrible pain, but having Lois confront him about everything that had gone wrong hurt more than kryptonite poisoning ever could.

"Why! Did you leave because you didn't want to be with me, especially after I got pregnant! Is that why you left, because I was pregnant!"

He felt a stabbing pain inside, and for the first time, it wasn't from a shard of kryptonite. He felt something break inside of him at Lois' accusations and he struggled not to cry. "I didn't know you were pregnant," he said in a low, shaky voice, "If I had but known, Lois, I swear to you… I never would've left," he said, his voice shaking with emotion even though he tried not to lose his composure in front of her. He had made a terrible mistake in leaving and he'd missed out on five years of his son's life. He had lost Lois…

The stoplight changed green and she drove the car at a moderate speed, looking lost in her thoughts. Clark actually feared her being silent more than he did her yelling. He knew it was bad news when Lois Lane stopped talking. He was about to plead with her to yell at him again, or even to drive as fast as she could, when she finally spoke. "I needed you by my side. Jason needed you! And you just up and ran away without saying good-bye!"

"I… I…"

"Why did you leave me?" she asked, slowly, and in a low voice that unnerved him.

He stayed silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. But he knew he had to say something. He had to tell her why he left. She had a right to know. "Because… because I was lonely," he said, his voice breaking. "I was lonely, Lois." He struggled not to cry, but the stabbing pain in his soul and on his back was making it very difficult for him to keep his emotions in check.

"Why were you lonely?" she inquired, the tone of her voice softening.

He took a deep breath and let it out. "After the fight with General Zod and the other Kryptonians, and soon after their imprisonment, I felt more alone than ever before. The only other surviving Kryptonians are criminals… and I couldn't even be with you because someone could use you against me, just as they had tried to do," he whispered, trying to hold the tears back. "I had never felt so alone in my life, Lois." …_and so guilty. Oh, Lois, how can I tell you that I wiped all your memories of my secret identity? _

Lois never thought that Superman could feel alone. She thought he must've been the happiest person on Earth with all those powers and the adoration of millions. "But… the world loves you," she said, glancing at him briefly before turning back to the wheel, "How can you feel alone when the entire world loves you?"

He sighed. It was true. The entire world loved him. But that didn't make the feelings of loneliness go away. "I can't get close to anyone. My enemies could use my loved ones against me," he said in a pained voice. "I don't know what I'd do if I had to choose between saving the world and saving someone close to me."

"So, why go to Krypton? There were no survivors," she said, and instantly regretted it when Clark flinched in pain at her words.

"I thought… hoped… there would be survivors. Then I wouldn't be alone anymore and I could finally feel like I belonged somewhere," he said, wistfully, then sighed and continued, "But I was wrong." The tears he had been holding back finally fell and he wiped them away before Lois could see them. "Krypton is gone, and the only home I have ever known had moved on in my absence."

"Clark… I don't know what to say…"

He sighed. "You moved on, too, and I'm glad you did. But… when I saw you with Richard…" He was going to say something about being torn to pieces at the realization that Lois had found comfort in another man's arms, but he couldn't get the words out. "I never should have left you, Lois."

She sighed deeply. Five years of wondering why he had left, and now that she had the answer, she felt guilty for hating him and for writing that blasted article. "Look…" she said, tearfully, then cleared her throat and regained her normal voice, "I'm not saying you were right in leaving for Krypton… but… I understand why you did. I just want you to know that I don't hate you for it. Okay?" She glanced at him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder before turning back to her driving. "I forgive you." There, she said it. The three words she never thought she'd say to him. A great weight had been lifted from her shoulders with those three little words.

He smiled despite the horrible pain he was feeling. Lois had forgiven him for leaving. His spirit soared when she said those words to him. But could he forgive himself? He had wiped her memories, and he still had the burden of all the lost souls who had perished in his absence, among other things. At least knowing that he had flaws like everyone else made him feel closer to humanity and less like an alien. That was a comforting thought for him. "I will never forgive myself for all the tragedies I could've prevented. I did a terrible thing and I'm not sure if I can ever atone for it."

"Look, you're not our slave. You had every right to leave. And besides, I think you redeemed yourself when you saved the world a few days ago," she said, and gave him a smile. "You put your life on the line for humanity. The world is grateful for what you did, and I think the world forgives you for leaving."

"Perhaps," he said, lost in thought. "Besides," he said, and his face brightened, "I'm not alone anymore. I have Jason now," he said, smiling broadly despite the horrible pain on his back. "There's someone in this world who will understand."

"He's going to need your guidance when he starts to develop his powers," she said, trying not to think about the incident with the piano. This just wasn't the right time to dwell on that. "He's going to need you by his side."

"And I will be," he vowed, "I will be there for my son. You have my word."

Lois smiled at him. "Thank you, Clark." She watched him lovingly for a few seconds, then caught herself and turned back to the wheel. _Get a hold of yourself, Lois! Stop staring at him like a schoolgirl. _Still, she was relieved that Jason would have guidance from his real father all the days of his life. It gave her hope for the future, regardless of which man she stayed with. She still had that choice to make, but it wouldn't be today. No, today, she was taking Superman to the hospital and making sure he got better.

Oh god, he was in so much pain. He had been able to ignore it during their little discussion, but now that he had nothing to distract him from the pain, it was all he could think about. The wound was burning and he felt cold all over his being. He felt himself shaking uncontrollably and, to his horror, he realized that he was beginning to have trouble breathing. He tried to get his breathing under control, if only to keep Lois calm, but it was becoming an increasingly difficult task.

Lois stopped at another red light and turned to look at him. "We're almost there." She finally noticed that he was hunched over in pain and… wheezing! He was actually wheezing! "Oh my god!" she screamed. "Clark, breathe!"

"I… need to get… my suit…" he gasped.

"Would you shut up about the damn suit!" she bellowed at him. She ran her fingers through her hair and took deep, calming breaths. She was desperate! Superman was having trouble breathing and she was stuck in traffic! She took another deep breath and let it out as she grabbed hold of the steering wheel and stared forward with a determined look in her eye. "Hold on," she said, "It's going to be a bumpy ride."

He stared at her in horror as she examined her surroundings, probably looking for a way to squeeze through traffic. He saw the calculating look in her eyes and he actually feared for his life. When he saw the green light, he braced himself for the worst and tried to think happy thoughts. _Find a happy place, find a happy place, find a happy place…_

And Lois stormed through traffic at incredible speed, dodging one car after another with incredible ease. The only sounds he could hear were the screeching tires and the many horns blaring after them. He thought it couldn't get any worse… until he saw blue lights and heard sirens behind them. Words couldn't describe how relieved he was to hear the sirens, and yet… well, he really didn't know what to think.

"CRAP!" was all she could say as she found a place to pull over, seething with restrained anger as she pushed the button to roll down the car window.

The police car pulled over behind her car. An African-American man in your typical police uniform walked up to her and leaned closer to the window. "Do you have any idea how fast you were going, miss?"

She gripped the steering wheel harder and turned to look at him. "Look, officer…" She looked at his nametag. "Officer Morgan, I'm taking this man to the hospital. He's very sick and it's a matter of life and death!"

Officer Morgan leaned closer to the window and stared at Clark Kent. Clark looked up at him, with his arms still wrapped around his stomach. He was shaking, sweating, wheezing and looking in very bad shape. "What's wrong with him?" asked Morgan.

"What does it look like? He's in labor!" she yelled, frustrated, and Clark Kent would've burst out laughing if he hadn't been in so much pain. He still managed a snicker, though. "He's dying! Would you please let us go before he keels over dead in my car!"

Officer Morgan heard the man wheeze loudly and he instantly stepped back, bewildered. Lois Lane quickly sped out of there and in the direction of the hospital, with Clark hanging on for dear life.

"Hang in there!" she pleaded. "We're almost there!"

_Oh god, was the hospital always this far away? _He had never felt so sick. A while ago, he really didn't want to go to the hospital, but he just felt so ill that he couldn't wait to get there. They'd put him under the sun lamps again and try to stick him with needles. He wondered if the needles would work on him. He pinched his arm and saw that it didn't hurt, which comforted him somewhat. Good, he hadn't lost all his powers. At least he'd never have to know what it felt like to get a shot.

Finally, they spotted Metropolis General Hospital in the distance. Lois quickly drove into the parking lot, stopped at the parking booth to pick up a ticket, and then went to find a parking space. "We're here!" She found a parking space after a few unsuccessful tries, stopped the car and threw her keys in her purse. She unbuckled their seat belts and got out of the car, slamming her door shut and then going to the passenger's side to open the door for him. "Let's go! Move it!"

He was in so much pain that he couldn't move, so Lois helped him out of the car and he promptly fell to the floor. He stared at it numbly, feeling the road under his hands. After that incredible odyssey, they had arrived at their destination, and there was only one thought in his mind… _Land! Land! _

She closed the passenger door and turned to help him. "Get up!" she ordered him, placing her hands under his armpits and trying to pull him up. He stood up with incredible effort as his knees buckled. He was so terribly weak, but at least they were finally out of the car! "Get moving!"

He placed an arm around her shoulders for support, and she wrapped an arm around his waist and helped him into the emergency room. "Is… this the… maternity ward?" he joked, smiling weakly.

She grinned at him for a second. "Oh, shut up," she muttered as she led him into the emergency room. Once inside, she helped him sit down while she went to get help.

She walked up to the woman behind the counter, who was typing away in front of her computer, and planted her hands on her hips. "Look, you see that man over there?" She pointed at poor Clark, who was sitting there, silently writhing in agony, "He needs serious help!"

"He'll have to wait for his turn like everybody else," said the bored secretary. "Write his name on the list and we'll call him as soon as possible. We are very busy right now." She handed Lois the notepad and pen and went back to what she was typing.

Lois' eyes thinned dangerously. "Fine," she hissed. She grabbed the notepad and scribbled the name 'SUPERMAN' on it in large, bold letters and gave it back. "Here!"

The secretary grabbed the notepad. "Thank you for your pat--" She gaped at the name on the list, and then lifted her head to look at Clark. "Oh my god…"

"You know who that is? That's Superman, also known as The Man of Steel, and before you ask, his suit is at the cleaners! And do you want to hear something else? I am Lois Lane, his personal press agent. And if you don't get him help right now, I'll write an article about how you let the hero of Metropolis die in a chair like a dog and you'll never be able to show your face in this town again!"

"Right away, Miss Lane!" yelled the secretary as she picked up the phone and started punching in numbers.

Lois smiled with satisfaction and went to sit next to Superman. She put her arms around him and held him tightly. "They'll be here in a minute."

"Lois," he wheezed, leaning against her for some much-needed warmth, "You… you shouldn't have… done that. Other people… need… help…"

"Always thinking about others, huh?" she said, smiling at him, then her smile fell and she just hugged him. "We can't afford to wait. I'm sorry, but we can't!"

He sighed and snuggled closer to her body. "I feel awful. I'm so cold. So cold…"

She looked down at him with sad eyes. It hurt to see him like that. "I know," she said, hugging him tighter, "You'll be fine."

"What if… they don't believe I'm Superman?" he asked, looking at her with pained eyes. "Why… didn't you… take me to… pick up my suit?"

"Not the suit again," she groaned. "Just tell them to stick you with a needle and when that doesn't work, they'll know you're Superman." She was trying to make him feel better, but then it hit her. "It won't work, right?"

"I hope not," he wheezed.

She held him in her arms and rocked his shivering form gently, trying to make him feel better. Just then, she saw the doors burst open and a crowd of doctors come running to check on Superman. She was relieved to see the doctor who let her visit him yesterday. "Thank goodness you're here!"

The doctor came running and looked at him closely. He seemed convinced and ordered the orderlies to pick him up and put him on the gurney. Superman cried out in pain when he was picked up and they quickly put an oxygen mask over his face before they rushed him away.

It broke her heart to hear him scream again. She quickly stood up and rushed to his side, but someone held her back. "Let me through!"

"Sorry, Miss Lane! You'll have to wait here!"

And then, just as quickly as they came, they were gone. She collapsed back in her seat, feeling helpless. He was like this because of that monster, Lex Luthor. She was furious at what he had done and she swore that he would be put behind bars. She remembered that article Perry ordered her to write and realized that she could use that to their advantage. Oh, yes, justice would be done.

"Oh, Superman," she whispered, and the tears she had been holding back for so long finally appeared. He was in the hospital again and she could do nothing more to help him. It was all in their hands now. How were they supposed to help an alien who was invulnerable to almost anything? What if they couldn't help him? Those terrible thoughts forced a few stray tears to cascade down her cheeks.

"Please, be all right. You can't leave us. You can't leave _me_…"

**To Be Continued**

Not much of a cliffhanger, I know... but wait till you see chapter four! Thanks for reading and please review!

-DT


	4. Chapter IV

Hey, everyone! Once again, thanks for all the reviews. You've all made me very happy! And since you guys have been so nice to me, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I don't start writing the chapters until I've received a number of reviews, which means that your reviews actually influence where the story is going. How cool is that? It's like interactive fanfic!

Sorry this chapter took so long. There were so many ways to move the story forward after the ending of chapter three that I really needed to figure out where the story needed to go before I wrote even one sentence. But here it is, in full black and white glory for your reading pleasure! I hope you like it!!

EDIT 1: Chapter IV has been extended with a scene of Superman in the hospital. It's right at the beginning. Check it out! And many thanks to RoswellianMisha for giving me the idea to extend the chapter!

EDIT 2: I've re-uploaded the story with some corrections!

**Superman Returns  
"The Day After"**

Chapter IV

This had to be one of the worst days of his life. He had been in pain most of the day due to lack of sunlight, then he couldn't fly to the sun, and after being rushed to the hospital in critical condition by a hysterical Lois, there he was… a shivering heap in her arms, waiting for help to arrive. His body was insanely cold and he knew he wouldn't last much longer. The pain from the stab wound was also threatening to consume all reason and he wanted nothing more than to pass out and hope that help would arrive in time.

But she held him in her arms, trying to keep him warm and rocking his trembling form, and he knew he had to hold on. He had to do it for her and their son; despite a wound that felt as if it would burst into flames, agony and extreme cold all over his being, and a tightening chest that was making it nearly impossible to breathe. He had left humanity once; he couldn't do it again. He would just have to pull through, no matter the odds against him.

Suddenly, he heard doors open, and he turned to see who was coming. It was a crowd of nurses and doctors coming toward him, and he sighed, relieved. Lois rejoiced about help finally arriving and, for a moment, they forgot themselves and embraced, not wanting to let go. He felt whole in her arms, and he hoped that the feeling was mutual, even though it wasn't meant to be.

He was brought back to reality when he saw a doctor coming toward him, examining his face closely. He looked at the man worriedly. Did he not believe he was Superman? With his powers slowly leaving him, how could he prove who he really was? His secret identity was also in danger of being compromised, after so many years of keeping it a well-guarded secret, and there was nothing he could do about it. He looked at Lois, wanting to ask her again why she didn't take him to pick up his suit, but he couldn't summon the breath to even form the question.

The doctor seemed to recognize him, though he could swear that he'd never seen his face before, and the next thing he knew, he was no longer in Lois' arms. He was picked up by a team of doctors and he couldn't help but scream with what little breath he had left in his lungs. To his relief, they quickly placed an oxygen mask on his face, forcing air into his lungs.

He heard Lois demanding to stay by his side, but a doctor refused her. He tried telling them that he wanted her to stay with him, that she was his strength in this time of need, but he was too weak to even speak. Then they rushed him away while he struggled to hold on to life, trying not to despair at the thought of not having Lois by his side when he needed her the most. He kept his super-hearing tuned to her, listening to the comforting sounds of her heartbeat and breathing. It reminded him that he was still alive even though he felt otherwise, and more importantly, it reminded him that there was someone waiting for him to beat this terrible illness.

He couldn't believe how helpless he was. He couldn't even bend the steel bars that he was holding as tightly as he could. Normally, he could bend steel in his bare hands, but his strength was gone just like his power of flight. He tried using his x-ray vision to see through the ceiling, but he couldn't even do that. Unless there was lead on the other side, which he seriously doubted, then he was in serious danger of losing his powers. And all because of a stab wound inflicted by a madman to whom he had done no wrong.

He wanted to cry. His powers were leaving him and he didn't know if he would ever get them back. What if he couldn't save those in need? What if many more died because of his lack of intervention? He had left them once on a selfish quest that almost cost him everything he held dear, but he had vowed not to leave the world unprotected again. He couldn't bear the thought of losing his powers and being unable to help people. At least he still had his power of super-hearing, but what good would that do without the rest of his powers?

The thought of leaving Lois was also difficult to bear. She had forgiven him for leaving, and she obviously wanted him back in her life in some way. Why else would she tell him that Jason was his son, offer to share her home with him, and rush him to the hospital while putting herself at risk in the process? Why would she hold him in her arms and try to keep him warm if she didn't care for him? Then he heard her voice…

_Please, be all right. You can't leave us. You can't leave me…_

And the tears fell, but not at the thought of losing his powers, but from knowing that Lois actually wanted him in her life. After reading that article she wrote about him, and after hearing from her own mouth that she did not want Superman 'shoved' back into her life, he thought he had lost her for good. Then after finding out about Jason, he was hoping that Lois would at least let him into her life more, for the sake of their son. But knowing that she really did want him back in her life, and not just "around," made him cry tears of happiness. She really had forgiven him and he had a chance to be a father to Jason. Even if he couldn't be with her, at least they could be friends, and Jason would have the guidance he needed from his real father.

His tears did not go unnoticed, and he heard a nurse remarking that he was in serious pain, but the doctor told her, dismayed, that they couldn't do anything about it. It's not like they could shoot him up with a sedative or something. It made him wonder if he had he lost his invulnerability, too. As if on cue, he felt someone trying to jab something into his arm, and he let out a strangled gasp and was about to tell them to stop, when suddenly, the sensation stopped. He could barely lift his head up to see a nurse staring at the crooked needle, and he let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. If he was still invulnerable, then there was a good chance that his powers would come back.

If only he could feel the sun's golden warmth, everything would be fine. But alas, he couldn't have the sun; only cold, freezing darkness that was stealing his life force away. His entire body had gone numb. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe, and couldn't think while struggling in vain to hold on. He was slipping away and it terrified him. The pain was gone and all that was left was the thought of everyone he cared about that he would be leaving behind. His mother would be heartbroken to hear of his passing, and Jason… without his guidance, there was no telling what Jason could become if he didn't learn how to control his powers.

He couldn't keep his eyes open anymore and, as he started sinking into a deep sleep, he felt a light shining down on him in the darkness. Warmth coursed through his body at last, bringing him back from the brink of death. He felt his lungs stop tightening and his burning stab wound cool as all sensation returned to his body. He just barely opened his eyes to see a bright light above him before he lost the battle and passed out.

On the Crowded Streets of Metropolis…

Richard was on his way to pick Jason up from school, but he was stuck in traffic. There were many streets that had been closed due to damages from Friday's earthquake. Driving around Metropolis was beginning to feel like navigating through a maze. And to top it all off, it had been cloudy all day with no sign of rain.

The last few days had been hectic. Earthquakes, near-drowning, Superman nearly dying, and as if that wasn't enough, now he wasn't even sure if Jason was his son. Why would Superman visit Jason if he wasn't his son? He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. The only way Superman would even suspect that Jason was his son was if Lois told him, but then that would mean that she knew all along. Whether or not Lois had lied to him, or if she really didn't know until recently, remained to be seen.

He should've confronted her about it. He'd accepted her explanation without question; mostly because he was embarrassed about thinking Superman was naked in their bed. Instead of confronting her, he had changed the subject, if only to salvage what was left of his pride. Oh, but he would confront her about it later that day. He had to know who Jason's true father was, a revelation that wouldn't make him love Jason any less.

But would Lois decide to stay with Superman? He gripped the steering wheel tighter, taking a deep breath and then letting it out. It hurt to think about it, but he loved her enough to want her to be happy, even if it wasn't with him. He loved her enough to let her go.

And then there was Jason. Ever since the incident with the yacht, he'd been acting strangely. He'd tried talking to him about it, but the boy wouldn't talk about what was bothering him so much. Did something happen? Well, besides being held against their will, the yacht getting ripped in half by a growing continent, and then getting trapped inside with an unconscious mother while they sank deeper and deeper into the ocean. Maybe it had something to do with that destroyed piano he passed by while searching for his family.

He sighed. Man, what a week, and it was promising to get worse.

Traffic still wasn't moving, so he honked the horn. "Hey, sometime this century would be nice!!" He knew it was futile, but yelling made him feel better. This was getting unbearable! He switched on the radio and looked for a news station. Maybe they'd say something about the current traffic situation. He listened for a while, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently, until something caught his attention…

…_and in other news, a woman who was stuck in traffic decided she wasn't going to take it anymore, so she sped through traffic at incredible speeds, nearly causing countless accidents. When a policeman on the scene stopped her, she claimed to be driving a pregnant man, presumed to be her husband, to the hospital! If, by any chance, you see this maniac woman on the streets, keep your distance! _

He stared at the radio, dumbfounded. Then he smiled. And then he laughed, hard. Ah, he needed a good laugh. What woman would be desperate enough to claim her husband was pregnant? _Oh, wait till Lois hears about this! She hates getting stuck in traffic…_

It looked like he was going to be stuck in traffic for a good while, too, and… wait, the cars are moving again? He laughed triumphantly and gripped the steering wheel tighter, grinning and looking determined. He was going to pick up Jason from school and nobody was going to stop him!

Later

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he pulled over in front of the school. He got out of the car and saw Jason sitting there with a teacher, holding his backpack in his arms. "Jason!" he called out, rushing to the school.

"You're late, daddy," he said softly, looking down and hugging his backpack.

He stared at him curiously for a second, then went to pick him up. "Sorry, traffic was murder," he said, grinning, then his smile fell when he noticed Jason's subtle reaction to that word. It worried him, but he didn't want to trouble the kid any further by bringing it up. "Here, let's get in the car." He went back to the car, opened the door to the backseat and placed Jason in the seat. He buckled his seatbelt for him, closed the door, and then got in through the driver's side. "Guess who's staying at our house for a few days?" he said as he put the keys in the ignition, then turned to look at Jason. He hoped that the news of Superman staying at their house would make him feel better.

"Who?" asked Jason, looking at him with wide eyes.

He grinned at him. "Here's a hint. He wears a red cape and he can fly!"

Jason stared at him for a second, then he gasped in delight and smiled broadly. "Superman!"

"Yup!" he said, smiling just as broadly. It was great to see Jason smile again. He just hadn't been the same since the incident with the yacht. He would ask Lois about that later. After all, she had been with him the whole time, so she had to know what happened, right? He drove off, slightly dreading getting stuck in traffic again, but at least he'd be with Jason. "So, what are you going to tell him when you see him?"

"Hmm…" Jason looked lost in thought a while, frowning, then he perked up. "I'll ask him why he wears glasses to work!"

Richard stared at him for a moment, then turned back to driving, chuckling. "Jason, Superman doesn't wear glasses," he said, grinning.

Jason frowned. "Yes, he does!"

"All right, all right!" he said, laughing, "I believe you." He shook his head, smiling. His laughter slowly died down and he looked lost in thought. That would explain the glasses on the nightstand! He looked at Jason, who was just looking out the window. "When did you see him wearing glasses?"

"At the Planet," he said innocently. "Maybe he needs them to read!"

"Superman was at the Daily Planet?" he asked, baffled. Just… baffled. Well, he did cut through the building on Friday to stop the Daily Planet globe from crushing his uncle, so technically, he was at the Daily Planet… but that still didn't explain the glasses.

"No. Mr. Clark was," he said, shrugging.

"Okay…" said Richard, looking more confused by the minute. Did Jason think that Clark Kent and Superman were the same person? He chuckled and brushed it off. Sure, they had a bit of a physical resemblance, but… mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent? Mr. I Always Get Stuck in the Revolving Doors? Mr. I Like to Say 'Swell' a Lot? Superman? Oh yeah, and he just saw a winged pig descend from the clouds and fly across Metropolis!

Metropolis General Hospital

Lois Lane was pacing in the waiting room. Superman had been rushed to the emergency room about an hour ago, barely being able to breathe and with horribly cold skin. She felt helpless, but also guilty. Why didn't she just pull over and let him stand under the sun? She had been so insistent on taking him to the hospital that she didn't listen to his pleas. She sighed and collapsed in a chair, putting her head in her hands. Really, what sun? It had been cloudy all day and he was running out of time.

She knew she shouldn't feel guilty, but her heart wasn't listening to reason. He was dying and there was nothing she could do but wait. She hated waiting.

She was also angry with him for not sneaking out of her house and flying to the sun while he still could. So what if she thought he was rude? So what if she thought he was an ingrate for accepting her offer to stay at her house, only to run away with no explanation? At least he wouldn't be at death's door!

Why didn't he just take the day off? It wasn't like he'd be missed anyway. As soon as that thought crossed her mind, her face fell. Nobody noticed him at work. He would help people and ask nothing in return. He would help her with her articles, her spelling, and he'd listen to her when she was troubled. He never judged her and he always seemed to know what to do. And yet, nobody noticed that every time Clark Kent disappeared without a trace, Superman would appear to save the day. Nobody even noticed that he and Superman arrived in Metropolis on the same day. Worse, nobody noticed that he was in pain this morning.

She sighed, fighting back tears. It wasn't because of the glasses that nobody ever noticed who he really was. It was because nobody cared enough to look twice or to even piece together all the clues. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was also guilty of taking him for granted. She wouldn't even listen to him when he tried to talk to her. She would change the subject and talk about herself and her own problems.

Well, now she was feeling like crap, and she deserved it, too. What happened to her? She used to be so nice to him before he left for Krypton. She'd give him advice and even go out to lunch with him. But ever since he got back, she barely paid attention to him and she was basically a snob around him. She grew bitter, that's what happened. Superman had left her and her kid was allergic to everything, so she took it out on him. Well, she was determined not to let that happen again, especially now that he was back and she knew who he really was.

She sighed, thinking about how different things would've been if Superman had never left. "Why did you leave me?" she whispered to herself. _Because I was lonely, _she remembered him saying. She thought he had been so incredibly selfish to leave for Krypton without saying good-bye, leaving the entire world unprotected, but now that she heard his explanation, she understood him. He couldn't get close to anyone without putting them in danger, and nobody even noticed or cared about his real self, Clark Kent. No wonder he was lonely.

And that stupid article she wrote probably made him feel worse. He'd just come home from a trip to the remains of Krypton, and what did he find? An article called "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." She felt so ashamed. He must've felt like he didn't belong anywhere. Krypton was gone, she had found another man, and, according to her article, the world didn't want him either. She never should've written that article!

Well, she was not going to accept the Pulitzer Prize. The ceremony had been postponed due to the earthquakes, but now that she had time to think things over, she knew she'd never forgive herself if she accepted it. It was such a lie! He had even saved a plane full of reporters. _Yeah, I dare you to say you don't need me now! _she thought, slightly amused. Superman would never say that, but it was so deliciously ironic that he saved a plane full of reporters!

She'd just have to work harder to win it honestly. Maybe she'd earn it with the "Why the World Needs Superman" article she was working on. Well, before doing that, she had to tell the world who was responsible for their hero nearly dying. It was her assignment, yes, but she also wanted to see that madman put behind bars for the rest of his life for what he did. Maybe Superman would agree to an interview. Oh, who was she kidding? Of course he was going to agree to an interview. He never turned her down.

She grabbed her head and groaned loudly. She was getting a splitting headache. Her brain wouldn't shut up and her life was such a mess right now. Clark Kent was Superman, who was Jason's real father, and Richard was stuck in the middle. And it was all because of the choices she'd made. She sighed and stared at nothing, trying not to cry. She didn't even know if Superman would live through this.

She wanted to throw her head back and scream in frustration. There was still no word of Superman's condition and she was still in the dark. She hated being in the dark, and she hated waiting, and she was getting plenty of both in the waiting room! "God, I need a break," she muttered. If she stayed there and kept mulling over all the things that had gone wrong in her life, she'd go insane. So, she grabbed her purse and went outside. She considered lighting a cigarette, but… no, she was trying to quit. She was going to do it for her son, and for Superman. Sighing, she pulled her cellphone out of her purse and called Richard. It rang a few times until he finally picked it up. "Hey, Richard."

"Hi, Lois. We're on our way back. Where are you?"

"Oh, Jason's with you?" she asked, knowing that she'd probably have to be careful about what she said. She couldn't tell the poor kid that Superman was dying.

"Yeah. What's wrong? Where are you?"

"I'm, uh… at the hospital. Superman got worse and I brought him here. First, he couldn't fly, and then he could barely breathe!"

"Oh, man… is he going to be okay?" he asked, worried.

"I don't know. I'm still waiting for news," she said, trying not to lose her composure. "So, I may be home late and, uh…" She took a deep breath before continuing, "You may have to sleep on the couch."

He stared at the cellphone incredulously for a moment, then put it back on his ear. "What? But what'd I do?" He groaned and whispered into the phone so that Jason could not hear. "This isn't about that 'why is Superman sleeping in our bed' fiasco, right?"

She smirked for a second, then answered him. "No, no, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm just giving Superman the bed until he recovers." _If he recovers…_ "And we may need to buy a few sun lamps, too."

He sighed. "All right. Call me when you hear anything, okay?"

"I will," she said, "Bye." Sighing, she hung up and put her cellphone back in her purse. It was going to be a long wait. Maybe she could interrogate that poor secretary she probably traumatized for life earlier, but she probably wouldn't know anything.

She decided to just go back to the waiting room and pace back and forth again. Heh, she was in the waiting room… after telling a policeman that Superman was in labor. She couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Superman giving birth to her baby while she paced back and forth like a maniac in the waiting room, wondering whether it was a boy or a girl.

Her laughter gradually turned into sobs and she collapsed in a chair again.

Back in Richard's Car…

Richard hung up, still taking it all in. Superman was in the hospital again? He hoped he recovered. Maybe if Superman still couldn't fly when he left the hospital, he could fly him as close to the sun as possible in the morning. That should make him feel better.

"Daddy?"

He looked at Jason and smiled. Jason called him 'daddy' even though he probably wasn't his real father, but in the end, that didn't matter, right? He still loved the boy as a father would. "Yes, Jason?"

"Is Superman going to be okay?" he asked, frowning.

He sighed. He couldn't lie to Jason, but that didn't mean he couldn't soften the blow, so to speak. "The doctors are doing everything they can to help him," he said, "He should be okay with some sun."

Jason looked out the car window, then looked at Richard, frowning. "But it's cloudy."

"Yeah, that's probably why he got sick again," he said, though he wasn't really sure. It was the only thing that made sense anyway. "He should be okay soon."

"I hope so," said Jason, then resumed staring out the car window, at all the cars stuck in traffic. "Is he still staying at our house?" he asked suddenly, looking at Richard with big, hopeful eyes.

"Of course," he said, smiling softly.

"Let's get him burritos!" he beamed, "He likes them and he'll feel better!"

He chuckled and reached into the backseat to ruffle Jason's hair, making him laugh. "All right," he said, smiling, "We'll get him burritos."

He looked lost in thought again. How did Jason know that he liked burritos? Was it possible that he really was Clark Kent? They had seen Clark eating burritos… hmm, nah… Jason must've just assumed that Superman liked them. Really, there was no other explanation… was there?

Metropolis General Hospital

"Miss Lane?"

She had finally fallen asleep in her seat from emotional exhaustion, dreaming both good and bad dreams… until that voice woke her up. Her eyes fluttered open and she slowly sat up, holding a hand to her back. _Ooo, my back! Damn hospital chairs…_

She rubbed her eyes and glanced at whoever woke her up, gasping when she noticed it was Superman's doctor. "Oh my god!" she couldn't help saying, and she instantly stood up. "How is he?"

"Miss Lane, we are terribly sorry…"

Her face fell and she didn't even let the doctor finish his sentence. "You're sorry? You're SORRY? What do you mean, you're SORRY?!" she screamed at him and looked like she was about to grab him by the lapels and shake him like a rag doll.

He held his hands up, regretting his choice of words. "He's doing better! We put him under the sun lamps and gave him oxygen, and he's feeling better." She sighed with relief and said 'thank god' under her breath. "Miss Lane, we're terribly sorry, but we've done all we can for him." She just stared at him numbly, and he continued. "We're not sure what's wrong with him. We even checked the stab wound for traces of kryptonite, but we didn't find any."

"What do you think is wrong with him then?" she asked, looking worried.

"Well, we found that the stab wound was extremely hot while the rest of his body was extremely cold, so we think it's draining all the energy out of his body. Maybe it's a healing mechanism, or maybe he still has microscopic traces of kryptonite in his body. We don't know what it is, but whatever the reason, being under the sun lamps seems to neutralize this effect. We think that being exposed to sunlight as often as possible for the next few days should help him heal completely. This is all speculation, of course. We'll never know what's wrong with him with complete certainty."

She nodded, still taking it all in. What he said made sense, but she would still check with Superman. "Can he fly?"

"Not yet," he said, shaking his head, "But he is still invulnerable."

"Oh, that's good. That's a good sign," she said, relieved.

"You know, Miss Lane, you brought him here just in time. Any longer, and I don't think he would've made it."

She cringed. "That's good to know." So, speeding through traffic, running from the law, and threatening that poor secretary were good things after all! "I knew he was in danger when he told me he couldn't fly."

"It's a good thing he did."

"How long until you release him?"

"Well, we want to keep him here for a few hours, under observation. But of course, that's really up to him. We can't hold him here against his will."

_Oh, he will stay here for a few hours… I'll make sure of that! _"Well, can I see him?"

"Follow me," he said, and led her to Superman's room.

She followed him, wringing the top of her purse anxiously. The doctor told her that he was feeling better, but she wouldn't be happy until she saw him. They walked for a while, until they came across a few guards standing guard outside a hospital room. _Well, this must be it…_

The doctor opened the door for her and she made her way in. She barely registered the door closing behind her as she watched the sleeping form of Superman. She felt tears come to her eyes as she walked to his bed. She was so happy that he was still alive and that there was a chance he would make it. She didn't want to think about how empty her life would be without Superman again.

She found a chair next to his bed and sat down. She watched him lovingly for a minute, before taking his hand in both of hers. He was warm again and she sighed in relief. She put his hand down and felt his forehead, then stroked his hair. Her mind kept screaming at her to pull her hand away, that she had Richard, but she was just so happy that he was alive that her heart won the battle against her brain.

"Lois?"

She gasped and pulled her hand away, blushing furiously. God, she was acting like a schoolgirl! It was pathetic! Oh, but she didn't care right now! "Hi," she said, smiling broadly, becoming lost in his gaze. He had such beautiful eyes… "How are you feeling?"

"Swell," he whispered, and she laughed. "Pretty good, actually… considering I just gave birth and all," he teased, in the most exhausted tone of voice he could muster.

She stared at him, stunned into speechlessness. He couldn't keep a straight face anymore and grinned at her, and then it hit her that he was teasing her. "Oh, you creep!" she said, laughing. "That joke is getting old, you know!"

"Not to me," he said, smiling. "It's a good joke."

"Yeah, right," she said, rolling her eyes. "But seriously, how are you feeling?"

He sighed and looked down at himself. "Exhausted," he said, then looked at her, "I should have called in sick to work today, huh?"

"Yes, you should've," she said, folding her arms. "You got yourself into this, you know. First, you escape the hospital, then you neglect your health…"

"All right, all right," he said, "You're right, of course. But I needed to go to work. You see, I would go insane if I had to be Superman all the time. He is the disguise, not the other way around." Well, there was also the fact that he barely got his job back and he couldn't risk losing it by being absent another day.

"Huh, I never thought of it that way…" she said, looking lost in thought. Had she been in love with a mask all this time? Well, that would soon change. She would finally get to know the person behind the cape. "I wish you'd told me who you really were sooner," she confessed.

He flinched almost imperceptibly, then smiled weakly. "As do I." He needed to tell her about the memory wipe sooner or later, but it wouldn't be today.

She stared at him for a while, then cleared her throat. "Well, you're going to be here for a while, so… are you in the mood for an interview?"

"I'm always in the mood for one of your interviews, Lois," he said, smiling, then he frowned. "I will be here for a while?"

"Yep. No sense taking unnecessary chances," she said, and fished inside her purse for her audio recorder. "Shall we begin?"

"Sure," he said, looking at her questioningly. What was Lois up to?

"First question," she said as she turned on the recorder, "What happened on Friday?"

His eyes widened and he let out a gasp. "Lois… why do you want to know that?" he asked, looking at her with pained eyes. He'd rather forget what happened that day.

"Because we're going to throw that madman in jail with this interview," she said, her eyes thinning, "He's going to pay for stabbing you and for nearly killing millions of people."

"It's not that easy," he said, looking away, "It's… painful to remember what happened that day, Lois. You don't know what Luthor and his henchmen did to me."

"We need to do this, Superman," she said, holding his hand as a comforting gesture, "He needs to be in jail before he hurts anyone else. And your interview will surely be enough to put him away for the rest of his life. Besides," she leaned closer to him and looked him in the eyes, "He was released from prison because you weren't there to testify. Do you really want him to get away again?"

He sighed. "No, of course not."

"If you don't want to do this, then I'll understand."

He looked at her, and he knew she was right. Lex Luthor had to be put behind bars and they needed Superman to do it. "Very well."

**To Be Continued**

I was so tempted to end the chapter with the doctor's "Miss Lane, we're terribly sorry" line. It would've been an awesome, but horribly cruel cliffhanger! But I decided to be good, especially after I kept you waiting over a week for the next chapter!

-DT


	5. Chapter V

Hey, guys! I'm so sorry I took so long to post this chapter. I started my internship shortly after I posted chapter four and I've just had no time to work on chapter five. But here it is at last! I hope you guys like it and that it was worth the wait. I know I had fun writing it! As a little bonus for making you wait so long, chapter four has been extended. The new pages can be found at the very beginning. Go check them out! You know you wanna! ;)

Many thanks to all my reviewers and to all the people who sent me messages asking me to update the story. Many thanks in particular to RoswellianMisha for giving me the idea to extend chapter four. Now, on with the story!

EDIT: I've re-uploaded the story with some corrections!

**Superman Returns  
"The Day After"**

Chapter V

"Very well."

Lois sighed as she switched on the tape recorder again. Part of her wanted to spare Superman of this interview that would surely be painful, but the rest of her wanted to go through with it. Lex Luthor had to pay and Superman was the only witness to the man's crimes. So, despite the personal anguish, she had to be a good reporter and get the story. "What happened on New Krypton?"

"New Krypton?" he asked, happy that they could delay the interview for a few more minutes. "It has a name?"

"Oh… that's right," she said, palming her forehead, "You don't know. That's what we named that thing you threw into space. It's all over the papers."

He looked at her, and couldn't help but smile. He knew the name was her idea, just like the 'Superman' name. She had a knack for that. "How did you know it was Krypton?"

"Lex Luthor told me when he held us prisoner," she said, "He called it, 'An extinct world reborn on our own'."

His smile faded and his expression darkened. "It must've been his idea of a sick joke."

"Yeah, well, he's a sick man… and you're changing the subject!"

He took a deep breath and let it out. "Well, I suspected that the blackouts were caused by Kryptonian technology, so I went to the Fortress of Solitude to investigate. But my father's crystals…" he said, and had to stop for a moment to regain his composure, "…were gone." Without the crystals, he would never be able to talk to his father again. He felt rage at the thought of his father being taken from him by a greedy old man, and he grew stronger to tell the rest of his tale. "The only person who knew of the fortress besides you and the Kryptonian outlaws was Lex Luthor. And I was angry… angrier than I've ever been. He took my father from me, Lois."

She had no idea just how much Lex Luthor had hurt him until now. "Oh my god," she said, looking at him with wide eyes, "Those crystals he showed me… They were your father's?"

"Yes, not only were they my only means of communicating with him, but they also stored the knowledge of dozens of worlds. And now they're beyond my reach."

"Didn't you go to Krypton on a spaceship? Can't you just build another one?"

"I can't build another spaceship without the crystals," he said, and then he saw the look on her face and added, "And no, I can't fly there. I can't hold my breath that long and then there's the kryptonite…"

"Don't give up!" she told him sternly, "We'll think of something. We'll get those crystals back somehow. Now, please continue."

"Well, after flying around Metropolis averting all sorts of disasters caused by the E.M.P. and saving you and your family from drowning, I went to confront Lex Luthor on New Krypton. That woman I saved when her brakes stopped working was there. She must've been a decoy while Lex Luthor stole the kryptonite from the museum."

"I knew it," she said, angry and strangely satisfied at the same time, "I just knew it. I knew that hooker was up to something."

"Yes, I remember you calling her that at the office," he said, and gave her a brief smile, "Can you believe that she jumped into my arms, invited me for coffee and a drink, and even tried to stop me from flying away?"

"Oh, that… that…" She refrained from blurting out the first word that came to her mind. "Even so, she was partially responsible for New Krypton, so, she's going to pay, too."

He looked at her gravely. "I would appreciate if you left her out of this," he said, knowing that it would surprise Lois. He had heard her sobs while he was being beaten to a pulp on New Krypton, and he also heard her trying to get Lex Luthor to call the whole thing off, only to be brushed away. She was so much like Miss Teschmacher… just another ignorant girl, enamored by fortune and expensive gifts, who didn't realize what she was doing until millions of lives were threatened. His parents had always taught him to see the best in everyone, and he felt that Katherine deserved another chance.

Lois stared at him, shocked. She couldn't believe the words that had come out of his mouth. "Why? If it weren't for her, the kryptonite would never have been stolen! She must've planned this with Lex Luthor! He must've cut the brakes himself!"

"Well, if he did, she certainly didn't know about it. She wasn't pretending." When Lois still didn't look convinced, he sighed, resigning himself to telling her the whole story and why he wanted to spare Katherine, but all in due time. "Please, leave her out of this. I'll explain later, I promise."

She sighed and looked skyward for patience and understanding. "Fine. Anyway…"

"I was so angry, Lois. I kept thinking about all the things this man had done to me, and now to steal my heritage, use it for personal gain, and endanger millions of lives in the process… that was too much for me. Not only that, but the place looked like Krypton… like a graveyard."

Somehow, those words made everything click. "Oh my god," she whispered, suddenly coming to a realization, "You don't think he was responsible for the news about Krypton still existing? The same news that made you leave? The reason he was able to get out of jail?"

She hoped it wasn't true. That would mean that Lex Luthor was responsible for Superman leaving for five years on a fruitless journey to find Krypton, for destroying their relationship and for Jason growing up without his father. Not only that, but that would mean that he planned for Superman to either die or become stranded in outer space so he could get out of jail on a technicality and that growing New Krypton was his sick, twisted way of killing off Superman the way he had originally intended.

Superman looked horrified. "I hope that's not true. It can't be true. Oh, god, Lois, he told me that he was returning the favor for 'taking' away five years of his life. I didn't think much about it at first, but now… what if you're right? What if I really did leave everything behind and sacrifice so much for nothing?"

He looked as if he might cry and it broke her heart. "Don't think about it, okay?" she said, trying to keep him calm, "What's done is done, and it's only a hunch anyway. It's not necessarily true."

But he wasn't listening to her. "It all makes sense. What have I done…?" He sat up on the bed, holding a hand to his aching back briefly, and looked as if he wanted to go somewhere, but stopped himself upon realizing that he couldn't even fly, most of his powers were gone, and there was nothing he could do anyway. It's not like he could turn back time. "Lois, I'm so sorry…" he said, his voice breaking with emotion, and he quickly buried his face in his hands as he struggled not to cry. "I'm so sorry…"

"Calm down," she whispered, soothingly and with a voice filled with compassion. It didn't matter to her whether or not the evidence was a hoax; she felt he had every right to go to Krypton. "It's not your fault. You didn't know, and, like I told you before, you had every right to leave." She quickly left her chair and moved to embrace him. "There are some things in life that we simply must do. And you, Superman, had to go to Krypton."

He hugged her back, still fighting back tears. "I never should've left you."

"It's okay," she said, patting his back comfortingly, "I forgive you." After he had calmed down, she ended the embrace and made him lie down under the sun lamps again. "I promise you that he's going to pay, regardless of whether or not he was responsible for your leaving."

"Look at me," he said, wiping at his tearful eyes, "I can't believe I'm crying like this."

"You've had a bad day. It's understandable. Just please finish the story…"

He laughed weakly. How many times had Lois asked him to continue the story anyway? Finally, after taking some deep breaths, he continued. "I realized that Lex Luthor had used my father's crystals to recreate Krypton. To make matters worse, the place was a dull, greenish color, littered with dead fish. It truly was a graveyard. It brought back so many painful memories."

"That was probably his intent," she said, rolling her eyes. "That sick man."

"Indeed. He even bragged about having a new apartment. Then he called me an alien and said I lacked a human touch."

"He actually called you an alien?!" she yelled, shocked. As far as she knew, no one had ever dared call him an alien to his face.

"Yes, and of course I am an alien, but the way he said it… it was as if I was beneath him because I wasn't born here on Earth," he said, his heart sinking at his own words. After returning to Earth, he felt like he didn't belong anywhere and that he was just an alien who had no place to call home.

"Stop calling yourself an alien. You're the best damn human anyone could ever hope to be." She blushed slightly, surprising herself by how easily the compliment came out. But she meant every word, and her heart soared when the gloom that had been hanging over him seemed to lift after hearing her words. He smiled broadly and he looked as if he would blush. "You're more than just an alien, Superman."

"Thank you, Lois," he said, smiling, "That makes me feel better."

She smiled at him tenderly, then cleared her throat louder than intended and looked away. "Uh, anyway, enough interruptions! Finish the story!"

"Right, the story," he said, then his expression fell when he realized what was coming. "Well, the longer I stayed there, the weaker I became. Something was very wrong, but I tried to ignore it. Then I felt sweat run down my face, and he stared at me with eyes devoid of expression… and… I… was afraid."

"You were afraid of him?"

"…Yes. No man has ever stared at me like that. He looked as if _I_ should've been afraid of _him_, and rightly so. He punched me in the chest and sent me crashing down the stairs. Pieces of crystal flew everywhere and I landed in a heap on the ground. It was the first time I ever felt physical pain as Superman." He tried not to think about the bully at the diner, but it was of no use. He sighed and continued before he dwelled on it too long. "I saw kryptonite lying around me, and when I looked through the ground, I saw that the entire place was laced with it. Even my hands were bloody. I'd never seen my blood as Superman, either."

She wondered why he kept specifying that he'd never felt pain or seen his blood as Superman. Was there ever a time that he wasn't Superman? She remembered the diner and that bully beating up Clark Kent. How could someone beat up Clark Kent anyway? Wasn't he Superman? Well, maybe he was pretending to be two different people, like he always did.

"He bragged about having the crystals. 'They're amazing, aren't they?' he said, as he kicked me again and again, 'They inherit the traits of the minerals around them. Kind of like a son inheriting the traits of his father'."

"Wait, what?" she asked abruptly, "'A son inheriting the traits of his father'?!" _Oh my god, Jason! _Lex Luthor must've found out that Jason killed one of his minions by crushing him with a piano. _He knows about Jason…_

"Yes…?" he wondered, looking at her questioningly. "He said that. He must've been talking about Jor-El. I suspect that he activated the crystals and talked to my father, getting all the knowledge he needed out of him, just before he… took him from me."

"Jor-El…?" she asked, looking utterly lost at this new revelation. There was no telling what Lex Luthor could do to Jason if given the chance and it terrified her. Now, more than ever, she needed to finish the interview, write that article, and use it to throw Luthor in jail for the rest of his life so he could never hurt Jason or anyone else.

"That was my biological father's name."

"I know who he is. Zod mentioned him a few times… you know, with the whole 'Come to me, son of Jor-El, and kneel before Zod' thing."

He grinned at that, then lost his smile. "You remember that?"

"Well, yeah. Why?"

He just shrugged his shoulders and looked lost in thought for a moment. He wasn't sure how much she remembered after the memory wipe. He thought she had forgotten most of the details about Zod, but apparently, he was wrong. She must be very confused, he thought; if she could only remember bits and pieces of everything that had happened. It made him feel even guiltier and more determined to make things right. _I will tell her soon, but not now. _

She sighed. Sometimes she just didn't understand him, but there was still the matter of Lex Luthor knowing about their son. She looked at him for a long moment, weighing all her options, and realized that she couldn't tell him, at least, not yet. He'd be so upset that he wouldn't finish the interview, and besides, he was ill and worrying about their son wouldn't help. He needed to make a full recovery, so, she bottled it up inside for the sake of his wellbeing. "Nevermind."

"Is there something you're not telling me?" he asked, looking at her worriedly, "What do you think Lex Luthor was really talking about?" He could always tell when someone was lying, even now, with his fading powers. She had a talent for figuring out secrets and it worried him that maybe she had figured out something else. Something he wasn't seeing.

She knew very well that he could tell she was lying, but she still bottled it up inside. She just hoped she wouldn't explode and pour her heart out in front of him before he was feeling well enough to leave the hospital. "It's nothing."

"All right," he said, looking at her suspiciously. He knew she was hiding something, but he had no right to pry. He had spent years keeping secrets from her, too. If it really was as important as he suspected, then she would tell him when she was ready. "He told me that he was only returning the favor for taking away five years of his life. This is why I'm so sure that he was responsible for the news about Krypton, and I suspect that there's a deeper meaning behind his father speech," he said, looking into her eyes and trying to find the answers.

"Yeah," she said, purposely avoiding his gaze even though she just wanted to blurt out the truth, "So, what'd you do?"

He sighed, realizing that he wasn't going to get the truth out of her today. "He kept kicking me and taunting me until I finally managed to grab his boot. I had him in an unbreakable hold, but just as I thought I finally had the upper hand…" He stopped suddenly, trying to find the strength to go on.

She brought her chair closer to his hospital bed and grabbed his hand. "You can remember every detail of this, huh?"

"Yes. Having eidetic memory can be a curse sometimes." He squeezed her hand gently. She was his strength in his time of need. He would finish this story for her. "Out of nowhere, this man grabbed me by the face…"

"He grabbed you… by the FACE?" she said, gaping at him.

He nodded, haunted by the memories of that terrible day. "He dragged me away from Luthor, forcing me to release my grip. I remember kicking and screaming, babbling something about still being Superman, while he dragged me away to beat me up. I had never been so scared in my entire life," he sighed, and couldn't bear to look at Lois' tear-stained face, "Then I heard others coming…"

Lois could only stare at him in horror, tears streaming down her cheeks. What kind of a monster could even consider beating up Superman anyway, whose only crime was to try to help others? He was the embodiment of every good thing in this world and they kicked him and beat him while he was down. She lost her voice then and just listened to him in complete silence, trying to remind herself that Lex Luthor would pay for what he did.

"Two other men came. What followed was a series of beatings that ranged from kicking me down, punching me in the gut, hitting me with boulders, to even holding my face underwater while I desperately tried to crawl away. In the middle of the beating, I heard sobs, and realized that they must've come from Katherine, which is why I ask you to leave her out of the article."

"Her name's Katherine, huh?" she said, and Superman nodded. "Okay," said Lois, sniffling and wiping her tears away, unable to say anything else.

"The beating seemed to go on forever. I honestly thought I was going to die there."

Wiping the last of her tears away, and forcing herself to stop crying, she looked at him hard. "Why… why didn't you fight back?" she said, looking angry, "Why did you let those lowlifes beat you up? You could've done something! You're Superman, damn it!"

He sighed. "Not only was I weak from kryptonite poisoning, but… I was afraid I'd hurt them. Lois, all my life, I've lived in fear of hurting someone. It would only take one punch or one burst of heat vision… and I could…" He looked at his hands, then dropped them and closed his eyes. "That's why I didn't fight back."

Lois' anger faded away as memories of that night at the diner came flooding back. She remembered Clark Kent getting beat up and refusing to fight back, even though he was… powerless? _Damn, that came out of nowhere. Powerless? Obviously, he was just pretending so I wouldn't find out he was Superman. _

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost control and killed someone. I think I'd go mad with grief and… Lois, what's wrong?" He finally noticed that all the color had been drained from her face and she was staring at him with wide eyes, looking horrified, a look that slowly hardened into what looked like rage. He would've left the bed and moved to embrace her if he hadn't been so sore, and if Lois didn't look like she was ready to kill someone. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

_Oh, my god, Superman… your son killed a man. _If he thought he'd go mad if he took a life, then she couldn't even imagine how he'd react to finding out that his son killed someone because his real father wasn't around to teach him about his powers. He would be devastated when he found out and the guilt would probably eat him alive. If only Lex Luthor hadn't planted all that evidence about Krypton… She wanted to cry and scream with wrath at everything that man had taken from them. "Damn it, finish the story!" she yelled, biting back tears of rage.

Superman looked taken aback. "Lois? What did I say?" Realization dawned on him. "What is it you're not telling me?" She only gave him a look that shook him to the core while she glared daggers right through him. But, worst of all, she remained stubbornly silent. _Oh, no, she didn't say anything. It's always bad news when Lois Lane stops talking. _

"I don't know, can you read my mind?" she asked rhetorically and with bitterness in her voice. She really was upset, and it troubled him to no end. "Just finish the story. Then I'll feel much better."

"All right," he sighed, knowing he wasn't getting anywhere in this argument, "I had almost made it to the edge of that wretched place so I could fly away, but Luthor grabbed me from behind. He stabbed me in the back…" He unconsciously rubbed the stab wound, reliving those terrifying moments all over again. "I'd never felt such pain, and I'm ashamed to say that I gave him the satisfaction of hearing me scream. But that wasn't enough for him, because he turned the blade inside of me …"

"That explains why the wound's semi-circular and why you still had pieces of kryptonite in your body after I removed the blade," she said, still trying to keep her emotions in check. "That sick, twisted, diseased maniac…" She clenched and unclenched her fists, then took deep, calming breaths. "Go on."

"'Now fly', he whispered in my ear, just before he broke the blade inside of me and let me drop to the ground. Still, I looked him straight in the eyes, and again, I saw no emotion there as he showed me what was left of the kryptonite blade," he said, then turned to look at her gratefully. "If it weren't for you, Lois, I would be dead. Thank you for saving me."

Lois had been steaming with anger for a while at the thought of everything Lex Luthor had done to them, but then she heard him say thank you… and she couldn't help but smile briefly. "You're welcome," she said, "We're even on the life-saving now."

He smiled, then resumed his grim tale. "I backed away from them, and when I tried to fly… I fell." He sighed heavily and looked deeply affected. "I couldn't fly. Flight is usually the first power to go in the face of kryptonite poisoning."

"If only you could've flown away from New Krypton, huh?"

"If only," he whispered, looking distant, and wondering if he would ever fly again. "I fell into the ocean. I couldn't swim and I couldn't remove the kryptonite from my back. I remembered my father… he once told me that Krypton's destruction could've been avoided. I realized then that Earth would suffer a similar fate if I didn't do something, but what could I do? The landmass was laced with kryptonite and I'd been stabbed in the back. He was asking so much of me, so much so that I felt as if I had been drowning in my own failure instead of the ocean. Then the world turned black…"

"Then I pulled you out of the water," she said. "I still have no idea how I did it. It must've been adrenaline."

"I think you're not giving yourself enough credit. You're a strong woman," he said, and grinned when Lois blushed. Superman was calling her strong! If that wasn't a compliment, then she didn't know what was. "How did you know I was there?"

"The truth is… I didn't know you were there. I knew about Luthor's plans to build the continent and that he had kryptonite, but that's all. When I woke up and Richard told me that you went back… I told him to look for you. We didn't know what to expect, and we didn't have much hope of finding you, until Jason saw you in the water."

"He's already developing his powers? I didn't start to develop telescopic vision until I was a teenager," he said, then looked lost in thought. "Has he showed any signs of super-strength? My parents told me that I lifted a truck when they found me."

"Uh…" She rubbed her arms nervously. She didn't want to tell him about the piano until after he left the hospital. He would be devastated and that was the last thing he needed while he was recovering. "Yeah… anyway," she said, determined to change the subject, "So, Richard flew us to safety, I pulled the blade out of your back, and then you flew to New Krypton…"

He groaned and interrupted her. "What did Jason do?" he asked, slightly annoyed that she changed the subject again. She wasn't telling him something, something important, and he was going to find out what. "And why aren't you telling me?"

"I need you to finish the story," she muttered, unable to look him in the eye.

"As you said, I'll be here a while. The interview can wait. What did Jason do?"

"Does it matter?" she snapped back. She felt cornered, even though she was trying not to lose it in front of Superman. If he kept this up, then she would blurt out what happened with the piano and she really, really didn't want to put Superman through that yet.

"Yes, it does. Besides, I would rather talk about Jason than about that monstrosity that almost killed me. That sounds reasonable, doesn't it?" he said, smirking, until he saw that he hadn't succeeded in cheering her up.

"No, you wouldn't," she whispered, feeling her eyes well up with tears and her voice begin to break. Superman would be devastated and there was no way around it. She had to tell him even though her heart was screaming at her not to. "You really wouldn't."

"Lois… please," he said, starting to get worried. Something was very, very wrong and he was in the dark. Having run out of options, he sighed deeply. "Will you tell me if I finish the story?" She just nodded at him, unable to speak. "All right. I flew above the clouds to recharge my energy levels, then dived into the ocean and used my heat vision to separate New Krypton from the ocean floor. I made sure to put as much rock between me and the landmass as possible before I started lifting."

"But you still had kryptonite in your body. How did you accomplish this?"

"Failure was not an option. If I failed, then Earth would be lost, and I couldn't let that happen. It was sheer willpower that allowed me to do what I did, and to say that it was difficult is an understatement. I saw Lex Luthor flying away in his helicopter with Katherine and I assume the rest of his friends. Even after what they did to me, I still wouldn't consider taking their lives, so I was glad that they flew to safety. The rock that was shielding me from the radiation started crumbling around me and it was then that I saw the kryptonite… still growing."

"It was still growing?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes, and I assume the place won't stop growing until it reaches full size. And no, I don't know when that will be. Anyway…" He took a deep breath and continued, wanting to get this over with so he could find out what was upsetting Lois so much. "My hands were burning, my entire body was screaming in agony, and there was this growing fear that I would fail and millions of lives would be lost. It was this fear that allowed me to push myself beyond the pain, beyond the fear, and beyond my limits in order to push that thing away from the planet. I watched it float away, and then… nothing. I have no memory of what happened afterwards."

"You fell down to Earth. Paramedics brought you to the hospital near-death, where they removed the shards of kryptonite left in your body and put you under the sun lamps. You were in a coma for three days."

He already knew about the fall, having heard about it while he was out in space all night, listening for cries of help since there was no way he was going to be able to fall asleep after what he'd found out in the hospital. "I heard you say that Jason is my son," he said, and his smile could light up all of Metropolis. "And then you kissed me."

She knew her face turned blood red just then, and then she noticed that he was grinning at her and her face turned even redder. "I… thought a kiss would wake you up… like in the fairy tales." _God, that sounded so silly. _"But it didn't work… and… wait, how did you know about the kiss?" she asked, still blushing herself into vapor.

"I could hear, even though I could not act. When you told me about Jason and kissed me, I began to regain consciousness. Then, later, I felt someone kiss me on the forehead."

"That was Jason," she said, and finally smiled a little, "He said he liked you and wanted you to get better."

"He said that?" he said, smiling broadly. His son liked him! His _son_! "I'm so proud of him, Lois. I remember Richard saying that he got an A in Science. Science runs in the family, so I'm not surprised."

"When did you find out?" she said, then looked as if something dawned on her. "Oh, right, Clark. Well… then you remember Richard saying that he got a D in gym. How do you feel about that?"

His smile never faltered. "I had the same problem when I was in school. He's my son, and I'll be proud of him no matter what." His smile fell when he noticed that Lois was smiling at him sadly, before her smile fell completely, her shoulders started shaking and she started to cry. It broke his heart to see her like that. "Oh, Lois…" He slowly left the bed, clutching his aching side, and moved to embrace her.

"You have to stay in bed," she sniffled, even as she wrapped her arms around his neck and cried freely into his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked tenderly, pained to see her like this.

"Superman, I'm sorry," she said in-between sobs, "I'm so sorry…"

"Please, tell me what's wrong," he pleaded with her while holding her like the most valuable thing on Earth, "Is this about Jason?" After a moment of hesitation, he felt her nod against his shoulder. "Is this about his powers?" She nodded again and held him tighter. "Did he break something?" He heard her sob even louder, and the horrible realization dawned on him. He felt as if he had been stabbed right in the heart. "…someone?"

"Superman," she choked out, and barely found her voice to confess to Superman what she had been trying to hide from him, the one thing that could utterly devastate him, "I think those men beat you up because…" She took a deep, shuddering breath, "One of their own was killed earlier." When she got no response, she wished she could just disappear from the face of the Earth. "Jason killed a man." She felt Superman deflate in her arms and she barely found the strength to continue, "And Lex Luthor knows he's your son."

**To Be Continued**

Aren't you guys glad I didn't end chapter four with the "Miss Lane, we're terribly sorry" line? Just imagine having to wait two months just to find out what happened next! Well, I hope you guys liked the fic! Thanks for sticking around and please review!

-DT


	6. Chapter VI

"Don't worry, I won't make you wait two months again!" I said. Good grief. I'm sorry, guys! The last month of college was a pain, and then my writer's block came back to haunt me. I also wanted to make sure I got this right, so it took a little longer than I expected!

Well, many thanks to all my wonderful reviewers who convinced me to keep going. I couldn't have done this without you! This chapter is for you - I hope you enjoy it! And again, sorry for the wait! I'll try to do better next time!

Oh, I almost forgot. This story references Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, only without the time travel ending. I used Lester's "Amnesia Kiss" instead.

So, without further ado... here's the fic!

EDIT: I've re-uploaded the story with some corrections!

**Superman Returns  
"The Day After"**

Chapter VI

"Jason killed a man… and Lex Luthor knows he's your son."

She couldn't look at him for a moment, and when Superman didn't say anything, she forced herself to look into his eyes, and immediately wished that she hadn't when she saw his tearful eyes. He was looking at her with a mixture of confusion, disbelief, despair, anger and guilt that just tore her apart. She could see tears clouding his piercing blue eyes. She felt as if she had stabbed him herself, and she couldn't remember ever having felt something so horrible.

But he still wouldn't say a word, and it unnerved her. "Superman…?" she asked tentatively, trying to get a reaction out of him, but her words fell on deaf ears. He was in his own world, surrounded by all these conflicting emotions that were probably slowly driving him to the brink of insanity. "Clark?" she whispered. _Scream at me, cry your eyes out, punch something, anything! Just do something other than just stare at me! _

Nothing. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, gently at first, then rougher when he didn't react. She bit back a scream of frustration, seriously considering smacking him in the face even though he probably wouldn't even feel it. It would probably break her hand, too, but she didn't care right now. "Snap out of it!" She stared at him angrily, but this quickly dissolved into more tears. "Please, say something!"

Cold. That was all he could feel. A terrible chill had taken over his body, and no amount of sunlight could end it. He couldn't remember ever feeling so cold, not even during the frantic drive to the hospital. This was the kind of cold that ran below the skin, somewhere inside his being, so terribly cold that it threatened to shatter his very soul to pieces. He barely acknowledged his heart beating so fast that he thought it would burst, and he scarcely noticed hot tears streaming down his cheeks. He wiped at them with shaking hands, wondering how they could feel so warm when he felt so cold inside.

Her words kept echoing inside his head, louder and louder until he thought he would go mad. _Jason killed a man and Lex Luthor knows he's your son. _That one sentence had turned his world upside down. Luthor knew who Jason's real father was and he could use this knowledge to his advantage. He felt pain for his son, who was so young and had so much to live for, and yet, Jason would have to carry the burden of taking a life for the rest of his days. He felt anger at himself for allowing this to happen. He was the one who left for five years and didn't teach his own son to control his powers. And guilt… a terrible guilt because he felt as if he had killed this man himself.

_I'm a bad father. _That was his first coherent thought in the sea of so many raging thoughts and emotions, and it made more tears come to his eyes. How could Lois want him back in their life? He didn't deserve her love. He didn't deserve Jason. He didn't deserve to live…

He heard a scream, then felt something strike his cheek, and realized after a moment that Lois had slapped him. It couldn't have come at a worse time. He stared at her for a long moment, shocked to the core, before bringing a hand to his cheek and rubbing it even though it didn't physically hurt him. Emotionally, it felt like he'd just had his heart ripped out of his chest, thrown to the ground and stomped on. He stared at her as his whole body quivered with emotion. _Lois hates me… she hates me…_

Lois was rubbing her hand and cursing under her breath, thankful she hadn't broken anything. Superman just sat there and stared at her as if she had just handed him his death sentence. She looked at him, and her face fell at the look on his face. _You made Superman cry, you monster! _"I'm sorry, but you were in shock!" He just rubbed his cheek, staring off into space, and looking utterly miserable. "Please, let me explain what happened!"

What was there to explain? He, Superman, was a murderer. It didn't matter if he never actually laid a hand on the man; his son was innocent and he was guilty. They were his powers, and as such, they were his responsibility. It was as simple as that. He felt Lois shaking him again, yelling at him to snap out of it, and he looked at her. "…You slapped me," he finally whispered, his voice breaking with emotion.

She sighed and rubbed her temples. At least he was speaking, but was he even listening to her? She was getting another splitting headache. She wanted to explain to Superman the circumstances surrounding what Jason had done, but he wasn't letting her. Well, at least the slap in the face had done the trick and snapped him out of his reverie. It was a start. "I just told you; you were in shock."

He looked heartbroken. "Do you hate me?" he whispered, and he wouldn't blame her if she did. Why else would she slap him? He had done nothing but bring her pain since he came to Metropolis. He had thought that Lois really did want him back in her life, but maybe he had been mistaken. Maybe she really did hate him…

"What?" She gaped at him, then pulled him into a fierce hug. "No!" She held him in her arms, just as she had done before, and that terrible cold in his being began to warm over. He started hugging her back, but he felt unworthy of her love, and let his arms fall limply to his sides. "I couldn't possibly hate you. If you'd just let me explain…"

He rested his cheek on her shoulder and struggled not to cry. "This is my fault." There was blood on his hands; warm, fresh blood, that would remain on his cold skin forever.

She rubbed his back, and Superman began to calm down. She could feel the tremors in his body slowly disappear and his erratic breathing return to normal. "It's not your fault. No one's to blame but that man who tried to kill me."

He stiffened, and all trace of sadness and despair was gone, replaced by anger. "Who tried to kill you?" he asked with renewed strength. He pulled away from her embrace, looking more than ready to bring this man to justice. It didn't matter if he only had one power left and the suit was still at his mother's. They could go get it; it would only take a moment…

"He was Lex Luthor's fourth henchman."

"But…" He looked confused, struggling to make sense out of this. Lois was telling him very little and it frustrated him. "I was beaten by three of his men, not four."

"Did you ever get the fax I sent from the yacht?" He nodded, impatiently waiting for her to fill in all the blanks. "Well, he caught me trying to send the fax and tried to kill me."

_He was on the yacht? _But he looked everywhere and couldn't find anyone else there. If he had seen another person, then he would've saved him with no hesitation. But if he wasn't on the island, and he wasn't on the yacht, then… "What does this have to do with Jason?"

"Well, Jason had been playing the piano, and he saw that man trying to hurt me. He got an asthma attack, the worst I'd ever seen." She sighed, recalling that horrifying moment when she was more worried about what would happen to Jason if she died than she was about her own life. "He threw a piano at him." Superman stared at her in disbelief, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your son saved my life."

"So… it was self-defense," he said, slowly. She nodded, giving him a small smile. He felt relief wash over him and the cold he had been feeling disappeared almost entirely. He let out a long breath and palmed his face, then ran his fingers through his hair. "God, Lois…"

"What?" she mumbled, caught off-guard by the abrupt change in his voice.

"Why didn't you tell me it was in self-defense before making me think that Jason killed an innocent man?" That man had been trying to kill Lois, and even though this man wouldn't have died if he had been there, he understood why Jason did what he did. It still made him feel no less guilty. If he had taught Jason about his powers, then he wouldn't have thrown the piano and would've found other means to save his mother. No one would've had to die and Lex Luthor wouldn't know about his son.

She stared at him, her mouth opening and closing. It never even occurred to her that Superman would think Jason had killed an innocent man. "I'm sorry!" she blubbered, feeling terrible about herself, "You kept pressuring me for answers and I was getting upset and I just blurted it out and… god, I'm sorry…"

"Lois," he said, exhausted, "It's okay." He'd had a long day and he was emotional, much to his dismay, but he wasn't about to take it out on Lois. "It was in self-defense. I understand." Besides, it was very probable that Jason didn't even know he could throw the piano. It was an accident that just happened to save his mother.

"No, it's not okay! You said you'd lose your mind if you ever killed anyone." She hid her face in her hands, groaning, frustrated at herself. He must've thought the worst! "And then I went and blurted it out without thinking. I knew you'd be upset, but I just made it worse!"

"Lois," he said patiently, "You're right; I would probably go mad if I ever killed anyone, but I would also never find myself in a position where I needed to defend myself. Jason did, and he did what he could to save you."

"So… you're not upset?" she asked tentatively. After his little episode earlier, she thought he was about to have a major breakdown.

"Yes," he said after a long pause. Lois looked like she wanted to say something, but he quickly elaborated. "Lois, if I had never left… If I had been there for Jason, he would have known about his powers and he would've found another way to save you."

"You don't know that," she pleaded with him.

"He would never have had to live with this burden." He couldn't even imagine how Jason was feeling right now, and he suddenly grew impatient. He wanted to leave the hospital and go talk to his son. He had to let him know that everything was going to be all right.

She hugged him again, and this time, he finally hugged her back. "It's okay." She rubbed his back again, and he couldn't help closing his eyes and sighing in contentment. "It's going to be okay. You'll see."

He shook his head. "Now Lex Luthor knows about him. Who knows what he'll do? What if he uses him to get to me?"

That was a scary thought. What if he had to choose between saving the world and saving Jason? How could he possibly make that decision? She pulled away and held his head in her hands, looking into his eyes. "We're putting him in jail for the rest of his life, remember?"

"Still," he said, looking at her sadly, "I've put Jason in danger. I feel responsible."

"You shouldn't feel responsible. And in any case, how do you think I feel? I was the one who took him to that yacht. I was the one who got us kidnapped."

He didn't know about that part… but he wasn't surprised. Lois had a knack for getting herself into trouble. She willingly boarded a plane with a space shuttle attached to it. If that wasn't asking for trouble, then he didn't know what was. Still, she shouldn't have put Jason in danger. "Why were you trespassing?"

"The first E.M.P. originated at the Vanderworth Mansion. I went to investigate and found the yacht, where I ran into Lex Luthor. How was I supposed to know?"

He would have to check the mansion when he had the chance. If the first E.M.P. originated there, then there had to be another Kryptonian structure at the mansion. "Lois, you should've gone to the Pulitzer Prize ceremony instead of putting you and your son in danger."

"Well… maybe I didn't want to go," she muttered, folding her arms. "And the ceremony was postponed anyway. I mean, it would've been cruel to give me the Pulitzer Prize on the day of the New Krypton incident. There would've been riots. You should've seen the candlelight vigils outside the hospital…"

He was touched by that, and he promised himself that he'd make a statement to the press soon, but he still couldn't let go of what Lois did. "Lois, you put Jason in danger," he said, "And Richard. If I hadn't found you in time…"

"Don't you think I feel bad enough already?" she told him, "Don't you think I feel like the worst mother that ever walked this Earth?"

It tore at his heart to hear her voice break. "No… no, I don't think you're the worst mother that ever walked this Earth," he said, wanting to embrace her, but he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. "You made a mistake, one that I trust won't happen again."

"I almost got my family killed," she said, sniffling.

He closed his eyes in pain. Family… that word stung. He wasn't part of her family. Richard was Jason's father in every way that mattered and Lois loved him. _We all make mistakes, Lois… and mine cost me your love…_ But knowing that he helped save her family eased the pain of losing Lois. At least he had that. "But you didn't. That's all that matters." She didn't look convinced. "Lois, I never lie. You're not a bad mother."

She sniffled, wiping her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, you never lie… except when you lose your glasses and you want me to believe that you're completely blind without them, huh? Or how about all those times you were late for work? You would say you got stuck in a phone booth, or got locked into the men's bathroom…" He was chuckling now, and it felt good to hear him do that. He had looked so miserable earlier that she thought she'd never see him smile again. "You really don't think I'm a bad mother?"

"You're a good mother," he said. _I'm the one who's a bad parent, Lois…_ "Just promise me that you'll be more careful from now on, especially when you're with Jason."

"Well, you know, I'm a reporter. Danger comes with the territory," she said, matter-of-factly. "You should know that; you're a reporter yourself."

"Of course, but… just promise me that you'll be more careful, especially if you're with Jason," he said, looking at her pleadingly, "I don't know what I'd do if…" He couldn't finish the sentence. What would he do if something happened to Lois or Jason? He didn't want to think about what he was capable of doing. He might make the world spin backwards, for all he knew.

"I won't put Jason in danger," she said, sensing how tense he became just thinking about what could happen to them, "I can't promise you that nothing will happen to me, but I can promise you that I won't get Jason mixed up with my work again."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. That makes me feel better." _I won't always be there to save you…_ Like Friday; he had been so busy stopping the catastrophes around Metropolis that he could barely get there in time to save Lois. He was grateful that Richard had kept them alive long enough for him to arrive and pull the yacht out of the ocean. Richard had risked his life for his family; he almost died for them, and that made him a hero in his eyes. If Lois had to leave him for another man, then he was glad it was for someone like Richard.

"Clark," she said, using his real name to get his immediate attention. She could sense that something troubled him, and she had a good idea of what it was. "What happened Friday wasn't your fault." He looked away, and she sighed. She couldn't even begin to imagine how he did this every day. What about all the people he couldn't save? With all those powers, it must be frustrating for him. How did he do this day after day without losing his mind? "You saved us. That's what matters."

"I wasn't there when you needed me. Richard was."

"Oh, come on. You pulled the yacht out of the ocean!"

He smiled at her sadly. "Lois, pulling a yacht out of the ocean is nothing when you can fly and you are the strongest man on the planet. It takes a real hero to put his life on the line for the people he cares for." He had always admired humanity for that. After all, they were mortal, and yet, many people put their lives on the line every day just to help others. They were true heroes. "Richard is the real hero here."

She looked at him, surprised. She had never heard him talk about Richard and frankly, she didn't even know what he thought about him. But he apparently thought highly of Richard, which made things easier. Jason needed his real father; he obviously had at least some of his powers, but Richard was the only father Jason had ever known. She couldn't take either of his fathers away from him. Well, many children around the world have two fathers and they turn out fine; they could do the same thing. Maybe life between the four of them wasn't going to be as difficult as she thought. "Yeah," she said, suddenly at a loss for words, "He's a good man."

Yes, he was a good man, who loved Jason like he was his own. Then, the horrifying thought hit him. Did Richard even know he wasn't the father? The only way to find out was to ask Lois, even though it embarrassed him for obvious reasons, but he had to know the truth. "Does he know?"

He didn't need to say more; she knew what he was asking. She remained silent for a moment, lost in thought. Telling him wouldn't be easy, for obvious reasons. She took a deep breath and answered in a low voice, "No." How could she possibly tell Richard that Jason wasn't his son without breaking his heart? He loved Jason so much, and to find out that he wasn't his would cause him pain no man should ever have to endure. "I don't want to hurt him."

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Lois." He felt responsible. He was the one who had taken away her memories and left for five years. This never would've happened if he had stayed. Now he was causing another man pain. How many people had to suffer for his mistakes? He should've listened to his father when he told him that he couldn't invest his time and emotion in one human being at the expense of the rest. Never had he felt the true weight of those words.

"I don't know how to tell a man that he was never a father," she said, the very thought of telling Richard making her feel ill.

"He is Jason's father," he said, "He raised him and he's always been there for him. That's what a father is. It has nothing to do with biology."

"What does that make you then?" she asked, not daring to look at him.

He was silent for a long time, and Lois was starting to regret asking him that. She was seriously considering telling him to forget she even asked that, but he answered despite how much it pained him to do so. "A bad father."

"Don't say that," she said, and hugged him tightly. "You're not a bad father. You only just found out that you have a son. How does that make you a bad father?"

"I wasn't there for him."

"But you will be," she said, forcing him to look at her. "I know you will."

He sighed. "Of course, I'll be there as much as I can. I'll teach him about his powers." He looked toward the sun lamps. "If I ever get them back…"

"Don't talk like that. You'll get them back. And there's a lot more you can teach him than just how to control his powers." He didn't look convinced, so she grinned at him. "You're Superman, the man from another planet. You've traveled the world, you speak just about every language known to man, you also help everyone equally and are a great inspiration to us all… Do I have to draw you a diagram?"

He smiled and looked at her gratefully. "Thank you for letting me into his life, Lois."

"You'll be a good father. I'm sure of it."

"I hope you're right," he said, his eyes looking distant. He would be there for his son as much as he could. He would protect Jason from anyone who wanted to use him to get to Superman. No harm would come to him for as long as he lived. But would Jason ever know who his real father was? He had to know. "Lois," he started uncertainly, "Are you ever going to tell him about me?"

"I should, huh?" she said, rubbing the back of her neck, "He must know by now there's something different about him, and it would be cruel not to tell him. So yeah… we'll tell him someday, when he's ready. We'll tell him together."

His heart soared. There was hope that Jason would know he was his father. Maybe he could even earn his love, if he was lucky, even if Jason would always think of Richard as his father. "And Lois, you have to know that I would never take Jason away from Richard."

"That's good to know," she said, smiling.

"I just want to get to know my son."

"You will," she said, "But first, you have to get better. You can't be a father to Jason if you're constantly teetering on the brink of death, you know. So, lie back down, soak up the light like a good little Kryptonian, and we'll go home as soon as the sun's out."

He let out a breath of frustration. "Lois, I really want to get out of here." Oh, what he wouldn't give just to be able to fly out of the hospital and never come back. He hated feeling this helpless, lying on a hospital bed. Besides, he really wanted to talk to Jason. They'd never really talked, and no doubt he was upset about what happened with the piano. He had to tell him that it wasn't his fault. "I'll be fine."

She didn't look convinced. "Aren't you forgetting what happened the last time you escaped the hospital? You got sick and you almost died."

"Only because I underestimated how much I needed the sunlight after what happened. I also spent all night rescuing people and I spent all my energy too quickly." He sighed, trying to make her understand. "Lois, believe me, I won't get better this way," he said, motioning toward the sun lamps.

"That's why we're leaving when the sun's out. If you look out the window, you'll notice that it's starting to rain. I don't want you near death again." She didn't want to see him wheezing and trembling from the cold again. It had broken her heart to see him like that. She had come so close to losing him…

"It's raining?" he asked, disbelieving. He looked out the window and realized, to his dismay, that it was true. Was today's weather against him? "This just isn't my day, is it?"

She smirked. "That's why you're staying here." He looked ready to complain, but she would have none of it. "I won't have you relapsing!"

"I won't relapse," he said, confident that he knew what he was doing. "As long as I don't spend too much energy, I'll be fine." He remembered that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and he found it draped over a chair, just as they had done with his suit. Had he been shirtless all this time? He felt his cheeks go warm and he quickly put the shirt back on. The movement made his back ache, but he hid it well. If he told Lois that his back was still bothering him, he'd never get out of the hospital.

She watched him as he put his shirt back on, wincing when she caught sight of that horrible scar in his back. She could've sworn that it looked worse than before. "I'd rather you stayed here," she said, looking at him worriedly.

He looked at her, sitting in that chair and looking so worried about him, and his heart went out to her. She had been through so much. He walked over and knelt in front of her, looking into her eyes. "Lois, I am very grateful for everything you've done for me today," he said, "But you know as well as I do that the doctors can't help me." She looked ready to disagree with him, but he shook his head. "I need real sunlight, not artificial light." She looked down, and he dared to reach up and cup her cheek in his hand. "It's the only way I'll get better."

"How can you be so sure of that?" she asked him, reaching up to touch his hand.

"I think I know how my powers work," he said, giving her a small smirk, and was rewarded when she smiled back at him.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked. She didn't look convinced, but she had to admit that he had a point. Even the doctor had told her that they couldn't do more for him.

"I'm sure," he told her.

It shouldn't have happened in the first place, he thought. The injury should've healed completely, and it shouldn't have been draining his energy like that. What was wrong with him? It had never taken him this long to recover from kryptonite exposure, but then again, it had never pierced his skin before. If only he could ask his father for advice, but that diseased maniac had taken the crystals from him…

"Well, I'll go get the doctor then," she said, standing up and moving to the door.

"Why?"

"So he can clear you." She planted her hands on her hips and looked at him. "They did save your life, and you want to escape the hospital again?"

"Well, no… but…"

"So, get back in that bed! I'll be right back!" she said, and opened the door and left.

He climbed back on the bed, wincing when he moved his sore body. He sighed and waited for Lois to come back with the doctor. Really, it wasn't necessary, but they had saved his life, and he didn't want to seem ungrateful by sneaking out of the hospital again. And he didn't want to look like he was running out on the hospital bill either, even though he was worried that they would make him pay thousands of dollars. Superman didn't have insurance. Well, Clark Kent had insurance, but he couldn't tell them that…

Everyone knew Superman would never even consider asking for money in return for saving people, so they shouldn't expect him to be able to pay anyway. Well, the medical bill was the least of his worries. Why was he so sore? Why were his powers gone? Why was his injury draining his energy? Was it really a healing mechanism, or was it something fatal? Could he die from this? Whatever it was, there was nothing anyone could do but hope for the best.

He would know what to do if he could consult the crystals, but they were probably in outer space, somewhere on that barren monstrosity. Maybe he could grow new ones using the Father Crystal, but that particular crystal stopped working the day Jor-El sacrificed himself to give him his powers back. _You will carry me inside you all the days of your life_, his father had said. "Father, what should I do?" he whispered to himself, but silence answered his plea. His father was gone, but at least he wasn't alone. Lois seemed to want to take care of him, and he couldn't thank her enough. No matter what happened to him, Lois would be there…

He sighed, feeling guilty all over again. She had done so much for him, and he had done nothing but keep secrets from her. If she hadn't tried to help him while he was passed out on the floor, she probably never would've found out who he really was. He had also taken away her memories instead of letting her work things out on her own. "I'll tell her soon," he said to himself. She deserved to know. He heard footsteps and quickly looked up, startled. It was Lois, with the doctor whose name he still didn't know.

"Hello, Superman," the doctor said, walking up to his hospital bed and looking him over, still not quite believing that he was talking to Superman himself, even when he wasn't wearing the suit. "I'm Dr. Sato. Miss Lane tells me you want to go home?"

So, his name was Dr. Sato… "Yes, if you'll let me."

The doctor chuckled. Really, they couldn't keep Superman here if he didn't want to stay. "Of course we'll let you," he said, and his humorous tone turned serious, "But I'm terribly sorry…" Lois groaned out loud at that line, and Superman shot her a confused look, "But there's nothing more we can do for you. We just don't know enough about Kryptonian physiology."

"I know, and I'm grateful for what you did," he said, smiling at him. "I just have to work this out on my own."

"Indeed. So, any sign of your powers returning?"

"No, my aura's gone," he said, rubbing his arm. His body temperature was still low. It was nowhere near as cold as it was earlier, but it was still a worrisome thing.

"Your aura?" he asked, looking confused. Lois also stared at him.

"It's an energy field that extends a few millimeters from my skin. It's what gives me my invulnerability. It disappeared today, and with it, my powers."

"But the needles…"

"It's the dense molecular structure. That's why you couldn't get the needle in my arm. A bullet would probably not bounce off my skin," he said, feeling uncomfortable talking about this. He was unaccustomed to pain and if his powers didn't come back, then he would learn what pain was. Maybe feeling pain would make him feel more human, so it couldn't be so bad. Humans dealt with pain all the time; why couldn't he?

"I see. Well, you're free to go. But be careful. You're not invulnerable."

"Oh, don't worry; I won't be doing any crime-fighting until I get my aura back," said Superman, climbing off the bed. "So, do I have to pay you anything, or…?" _Please, say no… I'm broke! I only just got back and I haven't even received my first paycheck yet…_

"Oh, no, you don't have to pay us anything. You can go."

He looked utterly relieved. "Thank you." Maybe he could pay the bill someday, but it wouldn't be today. Oh, no, today, he was most definitely broke.

Lois noticed the sun lamp sitting there next to the bed, and she took one long look at it before abruptly asking, "Hey, can I borrow your sun lamp?"

"Uh… sure," said Dr. Sato, "You can take it."

"Thanks," she said, unplugging the lamp and giving it to Superman to carry. "Come on, Superman," said Lois, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the room. "You know, you never told me about this aura of yours."

"It never seemed to come up," he said, shrugging.

"Is that why you were always so warm?" she asked, before kicking herself for bringing that up. _Great idea, Lois, bring up that irresistible warmth of his when he doesn't have it anymore! _

"Uh," he said, his cheeks turning an interesting shade of red, "Yes…" He stopped abruptly as she closed the door behind them. "Wait!" He stared off into space for a moment, then looked anxious as he ran a hand through his hair. "There's something I have to do first." Lois stared at him curiously, and he said, in a perfectly serious tone of voice, "I have to go to the nursery and see my baby."

She gaped at him, and he couldn't hold it back any longer and broke out into a full grin, and there was a twinkle in his blue eyes that turned her heart to mush. She found herself grinning despite herself and she dragged him away. "That wasn't funny!!" she said, laughing. She shouldn't be laughing; it was a stupid joke! Why was she laughing? Curse his charm!

It made him happy to hear her laughter. It made him feel better, too. His whole world had been turned upside down in the last few days, and he was happy to have something to laugh about. "But Lois, don't you remember? I was in labor! I can't leave without the baby!"

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" she asked him, grinning as she looked for an elevator. He just shook his head, smiling angelically. "Creep," she said, grinning madly as she reached the elevators and pushed the "down" button.

The elevator doors opened and Clark walked in, followed by Lois. He was glad that there was nobody there. He didn't want to be recognized, even though he was hardly recognizable at the moment. He saw the control panel and approached it, looking deep in thought. "Hmm, I think the nursery is on the third floor…"

She pushed the button for the first floor and glared at him, grinning furiously. "Well, you must be feeling better if you're cracking stupid jokes."

"You laughed at my stupid jokes," he said, folding his arms and smiling to himself.

"Oh, shut up," she muttered, smiling.

The elevator doors closed and he leaned against the wall, waiting for them to reach the first floor, relaxing his sore muscles. Using elevators always made him feel uncomfortable. Besides, he kept expecting a full set of clothes to fall on his head every time he rode the elevator, since that's where he always left his clothes. His eyes went wide as the horrifying thought hit him. _Oh, geez, I never picked up those clothes I left on top of the elevator on Friday! _Vivid images of the clothes falling on some unsuspecting reporter, or worse, Perry White, flashed before his eyes. He would pick them up tomorrow, if it wasn't already too late…

Finally, the elevator doors opened, and they both stepped out of the elevator and headed for the exit. "I can't wait to get home," she said, letting out a breath, "It's been a long day."

"It has. Lois, I can't thank you enough for letting me into your home," he said, following her, keeping his gaze down just in case anyone happened to look his way and recognize him. He made sure his spit curl wasn't hanging over his forehead, just in case. He was worried that someone had noticed he was there; Lois wasn't exactly discreet when she was yelling at that poor secretary. What would people think about Superman showing up in the emergency room in civilian clothes? But so far, everything seemed fine. He just hoped that things stayed that way. "I understand this isn't easy for you."

"We'll make it work," she said. They reached the waiting room and she cast a glance at the secretary from earlier, who didn't even dare look at her. She smirked to herself and started fishing in her purse for her keys. She pulled them out and went outside, sighing when she noticed that it was still raining. "Okay, I'm going to bring the car around. You wait right here."

"You… want me to get in your car?" he asked, his voice filled with dread.

"What's wrong with my car?" she asked in a flat tone.

"Oh, no, nothing's wrong with your car… it's just that… uh…" _Your driving scares me? _No, he couldn't tell her that, and after everything she had done for him, it would be rude not to get in the car with her. He sighed. "I'll wait right here." She smiled at him, then held her purse over her head and rushed off to find her car in the rain. He looked skyward and hoped that the clouds would part and the sunlight would shine down on him and give him his flight back so he wouldn't have to get in the car with Lois.

Lois pulled over at the entrance and unlocked the door for him, motioning for him to get in the car. He walked over to the passenger door, opened it and slowly climbed in, not wanting to upset his sore muscles. She took the sun lamp from him and put it in the backseat as he fastened his seatbelt. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I feel fine," he said, tightening his seatbelt, "Just fine."

"Look, I know I drove like a maniac earlier today," she said as she got the car going again, "and I know that your aura's gone and you're not very comfortable being in a car with me after the race against time from earlier, but I had no choice! So, please, stop gripping the seat!" He gave her an innocent look and folded his arms instead. "God, my mother did that the first time she drove with me…"

_Gee, I can't imagine why…_ She stopped at the parking booth to pay off her ticket, and Clark glanced at her, instantly wishing he hadn't. Her clothes were wet and her long hair was hanging loosely over her shoulders, accentuating her… He quickly averted his eyes, looking out the window instead. He should be ashamed; his mother taught him better than that.

She waited until they raised the bar before driving off. "Geez, what they wouldn't charge for parking these days," she mumbled, then noticed Superman looking out the window. "Hey!" He slowly looked at her, keeping his eyes locked on hers. "Are you looking forward to spending a few days with the three of us?"

"Of course," he said, averting his eyes again. "You know I want to meet Jason, and Richard… well, I've yet to thank him for helping to save my life." No matter how many times he told himself that he was above petty jealousies, he was jealous of the man. When he spoke to him at the Daily Planet, he had been forcing a smile throughout the whole conversation. But he was determined to make this work. He had to, if he didn't want to lose Jason.

"The four of us under one roof," she mused, "This is going to be interesting."

**To Be Continued**

I know it's not much of a cliffhanger, but well, I couldn't think of a better one. :P I hope you guys liked the chapter and that it was worth the wait. Please remember to review! Each and every one of your reviews influences the next chapter!

-DT


	7. Chapter VII

I really hope you guys like this thing! I'm SO sorry it took so long, but I thought it was going to be the last chapter, so I tried really hard to tie up all the loose ends. But twenty pages and many, many outtakes later, I realized that I had been wrong. This is NOT the last chapter! I don't know how many chapters are left. Maybe it's for the best...

So, to make up for the long wait, here's twenty-six pages of "The Day After" goodness! (Well, Word says it's twenty-six pages!) I can't believe this chapter turned out this long. I swear it just didn't want to end. I practically had to force it to!

Once again, thanks to all my reviewers, and to all my readers. I would've given up on this story ages ago if it weren't for you guys! Thanks for making this so much fun!

And now, without further ado, here's Chapter VII!

EDIT: I've re-uploaded the story with some corrections!

**Superman Returns  
"The Day After"**

Chapter VII

"The four of us under one roof. This is going to be interesting."

"I hope this works," he said. Life was definitely going to be interesting for the next few days. It also wasn't going to be easy. Lois and Richard were together, with his son, and he didn't know how well he was going to handle that. He would have to see them together, as a family. It was going to be hard, but as Jason's biological father, he had responsibilities that he couldn't – and wouldn't – turn his back on.

"I'm sure everything is going to work out," she told him, "It just has to."

He just hummed in agreement, too exhausted to speak. She sighed and fell silent, too, lost in her thoughts. He would've died if she hadn't taken him to the hospital. He was looking much better, but she was still worried about him. He was almost as vulnerable as any human. She couldn't imagine how it felt to be invulnerable your entire life only to lose that in one day. At least he still had his dense molecular structure, whatever that was. How did this "aura" of his work anyway? If he had an impenetrable force field, then how come she could touch him? Well, she had plenty of time to ask him questions now that he was their guest.

Superman, their guest. It was still hard to believe. She had no idea what was going to happen, but she was confident that they were doing the right thing. Superman needed to get to know his son, and he had to learn to get along with Richard, and what better time to do it? He didn't have a place to stay, he was vulnerable, and he needed time to recover. Somehow, things had to work between the four of them.

Clark was leaning back in his seat, trying to get comfortable despite his understandable fear of Lois behind the wheel, even if she was driving at a slower pace. He kept looking out the window, amused that people stuck behind Lois kept changing lanes and moving in front of her. He was avoiding looking at Lois at all costs and he felt silly about it. She looked so beautiful despite her ragged appearance, and oh, those wet clothes clinging to her body… but he was a gentleman, so he was stuck looking out the window. His mother taught him better, and besides, Lois was engaged to Richard.

Richard. He was going to meet him soon. He was the man who helped save his life, won Lois' heart, raised his son, had everything in life that Superman couldn't even dream of… What could he possibly say to Richard? He would also have to tell him who he really was if he wanted to be part of their family. One of the reasons he lost Lois' love was because he kept secrets from her, and he didn't want to lose Jason, too. He didn't want to be alone anymore.

"Clark?"

"Oh, sorry, Lois." He glanced at her briefly, then caught himself and looked out the window again. It was raining hard, and his solar-powered body was reacting accordingly. He was incredibly sore and he just wanted to fly above the clouds and soak in the sun's rays. Emotionally, he was miserable. He had never noticed it before, but his mood always seemed to change whenever it rained. Maybe the sun had something to do with it. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Richard. I will have to tell him the truth." He caught Lois' worried glance, and once again, the thought of Richard finding out the truth about Jason pained him. He wished there was another way, but sadly, there wasn't. "…About who I really am. If I want things to work, then there can be no more secrets."

Her eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips, and Clark almost wished he hadn't said anything. He mentally kicked himself as Lois silently fumed. "You know, it's amazing," she grumbled, "You're so ready to tell Richard, and yet, you never told me. I had to find out by myself, and even then, you tried to deny it."

He knew what was coming. "Lois, it's different with you."

"Boy, I'm glad you think so!" she said, her tone of voice rising with anger. "I'd hate to think that telling Richard would be the same as telling me!"

He inwardly cringed and silently prayed that a stoplight would put an end to her insane driving if she started speeding again. "Lois…"

"You must think I'm galactically stupid or something for never figuring it out," she muttered under her breath, feeling like the stupidest woman who ever lived. All those years, he had been hiding behind nothing more than a pair of glasses, a slouch, and a higher-pitched voice. There was also the fact that both Clark Kent and Superman left their respect planets – the Daily Planet and, of course, Earth – at the same time, then returned after a five-year absence on the same day. How could she have been so blind? How can she call herself a reporter?

"You're the smartest woman I know." She gave him that 'flattery will get you nowhere' look and he wished she would believe him. She wasn't stupid at all. She had figured out the truth once simply by drawing a hat, suit, and glasses on a picture of Superman in the newspaper, and then she tricked him into revealing his identity by shooting him with a blank. If that wasn't clever, then he didn't know what was.

"I should be angry with you," she said in a hard voice, gripping the steering wheel harder, and he planted his face on the window, hoping for a glimpse of the sun that would let him fly again. He could only see rain that mocked his being stuck in Lois' car. "You've been lying to me for as long as I've known you… masquerading as Clark Kent, or Superman, whichever works for you."

"I wanted to tell you," he said, honestly. But she had been in so much pain when she did know, and he couldn't bear to see her in pain. Maybe this time, it would be different. She had Richard, and she wouldn't be in pain because she couldn't be with Superman. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that the time had come to tell her the truth.

"You know what really gets me? That day at the Fortress of Solitude, we were intimate, and you still didn't tell me who you really were!" That part stung the most. "You know what? I am mad. Clark, I am just furious!"

He cringed. Not only had he told her the truth, but he had also given up his powers to be with her. He did it out of love for her, and because of what he did to her memories, she thought he had been lying during the most memorable day of his life and before his great sacrifice. His thoughtless act was destroying all their beautiful memories together and he had to make things right before he lost her friendship, too.

"I'm sorry, Lois," he said, "It's just that…" Just that… what? That his Kryptonian father had warned him that his loved ones would be in danger if he didn't have a secret identity? Lois had been in danger before because of him, and they didn't even know about the secret. Luthor was a threat to Jason and he didn't know the secret either. Then what was it?

"I know! It's dangerous for anyone to know your secret. General Zod and that broad whose name I can't remember drilled that into my head well enough when they used me to get to you. But they didn't come after me because I knew your secret. They came after me because I was your press agent! My point is, everyone already knows we have some sort of relationship!"

"Ursa," he stated. She stared at him, which alarmed Clark. He quickly pointed at the road, which made Lois roll her eyes and pay attention to her driving. "Her name is Ursa."

"I don't care what her name is," she seethed, frustrated that he could change the subject so easily. "Don't change the subject…" She blanked out on his name for a moment and it only served to frustrate her more. She hit the steering wheel to blow off some steam and failed to notice Clark looking out the window with a desperate look on his face. "How many names do you have anyway?!"

"Three," he said, watching her warily, "I am also Kal-El of Krypton…"

"This is just great," she half-laughed, "I don't even know what to call you!"

He felt guilty again. She'd said the same thing to him before he took away her memories. He would tell her the whole story soon, but he was tired, sore, and he'd had a long day. They had spent most of the afternoon arguing and he didn't want to do it anymore, especially when she had a reputation for speeding whenever she was angry. "Lois? You have every right to be angry. I promise I'll tell you everything soon, but… do we have to argue about this now?" _Especially when we're in your car? _

"Why not now? Now seems like a good time!" He gave her a tired look, and her anger completely vanished. "Oh, god, I'm sorry!" She reached out to feel his forehead to make sure he was still warm. She was relieved when she found that his temperature hadn't dropped again, but she knew it wouldn't last long. "I forgot you were sick for a minute there!" He mumbled what sounded like 'it's okay' and she felt even guiltier, even though he was the one who kept secrets from her. "If you want, we can go pick up your suit. It wouldn't be a problem, really."

He let out a short laugh, remembering where the suit was. He just felt so comfortable in his usual pants and Richard's shirt that he completely forgot about his suit. Besides, it wasn't like he had any of his powers, with the exception of the super-hearing. "Sure, if you don't mind driving to Smallville."

"What?!" she yelled, exasperated, and he gave her an amused grin. "You mean to tell me that your suit has been in Smallville all this time?"

"Yes. I told you I left it with my mother…"

She was honestly baffled. "You kept asking me to go pick up your suit! Why?"

"I… don't know. I wasn't thinking…"

"Did you expect me to drive all the way to Kansas or something?" He gave her a helpless shrug, and she threw her hands up in the air in frustration, causing Clark to hold on to the seat again, only to relax, slowly, when she held the steering wheel again. "How are you going to get the suit now?"

"I'll pick it up when I can fly again," he said, trying to keep his eyes open.

"How'd it get there in the first place?" she asked. He couldn't fly, so how come the suit was in Smallville? But then again, she had seen how shocked he was when he couldn't fly out of her house earlier. "Did you fly there?"

He sighed. "Yes… I could still fly this morning."

She reached for his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze, and he smiled at her and squeezed her hand back. "I'm sorry." He didn't deserve to be grounded like that, and all because of that madman. He had torn a family apart with his land-grabbing schemes, permanently scarred Superman… and he was still a threat to Jason. She couldn't wait to get home and write that article that would help put that madman in jail for the rest of his life. She already had all the gruesome details about New Krypton on her tape recorder, thanks to Superman, so it was only a matter of time before Lex Luthor paid for his crimes.

"It's not your fault," he said, "I'm sure I'll get it back. It'll just take time."

"Yes, and you need to rest," she told him, glancing at him briefly with her infamous 'don't argue with me' look. "You told me that you would be fine as long as you saved your energy, so I'm going to make sure you do. Go to sleep!"

He gave her an incredulous look. She wanted him to sleep in her car? After what she did that afternoon? Was she serious? "I couldn't possibly fall asleep in your car." She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, and he gave her a tired grin. "No offense."

"I'm going well below the speed limit, so I don't know what you're complaining about," she said, shaking her head and smiling to herself. "Look, I promise I won't start speeding." He gave her that look again, but she could tell he was trying not to smile, and she couldn't help but smile, too. "I'll drive at two miles an hour and get a ticket! How's that? Would that make you happy?"

"Five miles an hour will do just fine," he joked as he lowered his seat, trying to get comfortable. He was actually starting to warm up to her being behind the wheel. He trusted her not to start speeding like a maniac and almost causing countless accidents unless she had a very good reason, but that didn't mean he couldn't tease her about it. Besides, after the scare she gave him that afternoon, she deserved it!

Lois gave him a long-suffering look, and he couldn't help but laugh. She hated to admit it, but she loved it when he cracked stupid jokes. Maybe being out of the suit made all the difference. Somehow, she couldn't picture him in the suit making pregnancy jokes. Boy, the press would have a field day if they heard him. "You sure you can fall asleep in my car?" she asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"I don't really have a choice…" he said in mid-yawn.

She laughed. "All right. I'll wake you up when we get home." He mumbled in agreement and fell asleep almost instantly. She touched his arm, feeling his temperature, sighing when she noticed how low it was. _Please, God, help him get through the day…_ She turned up the heat, hoping he'd feel more comfortable. He stirred in his sleep and then settled down again, breathing a sigh of contentment. She smiled at his sleeping form for a few moments, happy that he was all right.

Her cellphone rang, and she inwardly cursed as she alternated between driving and fishing in her purse for the cellphone, praying that the annoying tune wouldn't wake him up. Finally, she pulled it out of her purse and quickly pressed the call button to put an end to the noise. She stole a glance at Superman to make sure he was still asleep, then at the cellphone screen to find out who she was talking to, and finally answered. "Hi, Richard," she whispered.

"Hi, Lois," said Richard at the other end of the line, "You never called me back. I was starting to get worried. Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. Sorry I didn't call. We're on our way home now," she whispered, "Did you buy food? I'm starved."

"Yeah, burritos. Jason said something about Superman liking them. But don't ask me how he knows because I have no idea…"

She wondered for a moment if Jason knew that Superman was Clark Kent. They had seen Clark eating burritos. But she scratched that idea. There was no way that Jason had seen something that it had taken her over six years to see. "I'm sure he'll like them." It amazed her how casual Richard was being about the whole thing. He had asked her once if she still loved Superman; he had to feel threatened by his presence at least a little. "You don't mind that he's staying with us, right? It's your house."

"Lois, it's our house. And he's welcome to stay with us for as long as he needs, even if you want me to sleep on the couch…"

She couldn't help but grin. "We'll work something out."

"Great. And why are you whispering?"

"He's asleep in the car. I don't want to wake him."

There was a short pause, and then…

"Lois, why is Superman sleeping in your car?"

She heard the mirth in his voice and she laughed, remembering his line from earlier that day. "Don't make me tell him that you thought he was sleeping in the nude!" As soon as the words left her mouth, she gasped in horror, realizing that Superman was sitting right next to her. She jerked her head in Superman's direction and was utterly relieved to find that he was still asleep. She didn't want either Superman or Richard to feel embarrassed about that little incident, even if it was funny!

"…He didn't hear that, did he? Oh, god, Lois, he has super-hearing…"

"No, no, he's still asleep," she whispered. "And… I'm not sure if he still has super-hearing. He lost all his powers earlier." Still, if he hadn't lost his super-hearing, then they would have to be careful about what they said around the house, although she seriously doubted that they could say anything that would upset him or that he wasn't supposed to hear. But it couldn't hurt to be prepared.

"That's terrible. I hope he gets them back."

There was sincere concern in his voice and it touched Lois' heart. Richard was a good man and she was sure that he and Superman would get along just fine. "Me, too, Richard."

"Yeah. Wait… are you driving?"

"Uh… no?"

"Sure you aren't." She could just hear him rolling his eyes, and she smiled. He knew her so well. "I'm going to hang up, then. We'll talk when you get home."

"Yeah. Talk to you soon."

"Bye."

Later

Jason was looking out the window, watching the rain, feeling sad for Superman because he didn't have the sun and he was sick. He had drawn Superman a picture as he waited for his mother to come back from the hospital with him, hoping it would help him feel better. They also got burritos for everyone, which he knew Superman liked because Mr. Clark liked them, too.

He finally saw his mother's car pull over in front of their house and he jumped with excitement and ran to look for Richard. "Daddy! Daddy!"

"Hey, kiddo! What are you so excited about?"

"Superman's here!"

"He… is?" Richard's eyes went distant. "Oh my god," he said under his breath.

He was happy to share his home with the hero, but he didn't think he could be comfortable around him. It was Superman, after all. But he had his suspicions regarding Jason's true paternity and his doubts about who Lois really wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Because of this, he couldn't help feeling a little jealous of the Man of Steel, but he was only human. Superman probably didn't even get jealous…

He wondered how much their lives would change after Superman walked through that door. Would their lives change for the better or for the worse? Would they change at all? He didn't know. He took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for Superman's arrival.

Meanwhile…

Lois pushed the button to open the garage door and drove inside. She pressed the button again and then turned off the car. "We're here," she said as she removed her keys from the ignition and dropped them in her purse. She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door, then turned to look at Superman, who was still asleep and looking positively angelic. "Hey," she whispered, nudging him from his sleep. "Wake up."

He groaned and curled up in his seat, waving the noise away. "Five m're minutes…"

"Wake up, sleeping beauty. We're here." She chuckled, remembering when she said the same thing to him earlier. He had looked so adorable, slouched there in the backseat, drooling. _Oh, he probably thinks I didn't see it. Ha! _She proceeded to shake him until he seemed to wake up. He just groaned loudly, wanting to go back to sleep. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't know," he mumbled, sitting up shakily and rubbing his eyes.

She felt his forehead. "Well, you don't feel much different."

"Why'd you wake me up?" he asked, his mind clouded with drowsiness. He shook his head, then noticed his surroundings. "The garage? Are we going back to the…?"

She heard the panic in his voice and she struggled not to roll her eyes. Really, the drive to the hospital wasn't _that_ bad… "No, we just got back, remember?" He seemed relieved for a moment, just before his eyes started closing by themselves again. She shook him until he snapped out of it. "Is it normal for you to feel this tired?"

"No… I usually don't need much sleep," he said, blinking himself awake. He discreetly tried to wipe away the drool that had pooled around the edge of his lips, hoping that Lois hadn't noticed. "Maybe it's because I'm running on artificial sunlight."

It frustrated her that this was happening to him. "The sun will heal you. Now come on, they're waiting for you."

"They?" Just the thought of meeting Jason seemed to breathe life back into him, and he looked at her with a light in his eyes that hadn't been there all day. "You mean, Jason's here?"

"Yes, Clark," she said with a smile, "Jason's here." He stared at her for a moment with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye, then he proceeded to unbuckle his seatbelt, open the door and stumble out of the car, barely able to contain himself. "Hey! Aren't you supposed to be sick?" she called out to him, already getting out of the car and going to the passenger side to give him a hand.

His sore body was complaining from the exertion, but he didn't care. "Can I see him?" he asked, leaning against the car.

"Of course," she said, rushing to his side and making sure that he was all right. "But you shouldn't exert yourself like that. You're supposed to be saving your energy!"

Superman's breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened when she got close to him in those wet clothes. He made an effort to look at her eyes and nothing else. At first, he was only trying to avoid looking at her body, but as he looked into her eyes, he couldn't help but wonder if they had always been two different colors. _I could have sworn her eyes were hazel, and now one of them's blue? _Still, he couldn't believe how beautiful and mesmerizing her multi-colored eyes were. _I could look at them all day…_

She noticed him staring at her and she waved a hand in front of his face, bringing him out of his trance. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes, you told me to save my energy…"

"That's right," she said, linking her arm around his.

He knew she didn't want him to fall again like he did at the parking lot earlier, but he was touched by the small gesture. Lois cared about his well being. Lois wanted him to get better. Maybe things were going to work out after all.

"You might want to… you know…" She gestured to his forehead, motioning to his missing trademark curl. After all, her family was expecting Superman, not Clark Kent. He took the hint, and to her surprise, he stuck a finger in his mouth, then pulled it out and twirled a lock of hair around his wet finger. When he brought his hand back, his famous curl was hanging over his forehead. She stared at him for a long moment, in disbelief.

He noticed her staring at him. "What?"

"Nothing!" she said a little too quickly, trying not to grin, as she led him into the house. Was that how he had fooled her all these years? By wearing a pair of glasses as Clark and a spit curl as Superman? _Either that man is a master of disguise or I really am galactically stupid! _

"No, really, what?"

"Nothing!" He looked like he still didn't understand, but she quickly opened the door leading out of the garage and dragged him into the house. "We're here!" announced Lois as she made her way in, with a drowsy and confused Superman in tow. "God, it's good to be home!"

"Hi, Lois," said Richard, smiling, then frowned at her appearance. "You're wet."

She gave him an exasperated look. "Don't go there." She took a deep breath and gestured to Superman. "Richard, this is…"

"Clark?" he asked, confused. He stole a glance at Lois, then at Superman, whose jaw had dropped. "I'm surprised to see you here!" Then he asked Lois in a low voice, "Where's Superman?" Lois and Superman exchanged looks, and the horrible realization dawned on Richard. He'd just confused Superman for Clark Kent. He couldn't believe it. "He's not…" He swallowed, trying to steady his voice. "He's Superman."

Lois didn't know how to react. She wanted to laugh at Richard's embarrassment and Superman's astonishment, but she also wanted to smack herself for never figuring out the truth when it took Richard all of two seconds to do it. "Uh, Richard? Meet Superman."

"Mr. White," said Superman in that deep voice he reserved for whenever he was in the suit. He really was jealous of the man, but for Jason's sake, he had to put aside those feelings. He offered his hand to Richard and tried to smile. "Thank you for letting me stay here."

Richard slowly took his outstretched hand while staring at him numbly. Wait, was that his shirt? Why was Superman wearing his shirt? He was tempted to ask, but he eventually listened to the voices of reason in his head. _You don't ask Superman why he's wearing your clothes, Richard! _But he would ask Lois later just to satisfy his curiosity. "Uh, you're welcome. It's the least we can do after you saved us from drowning."

"You did the same thing for me," said Superman, and finally smiled, "Thank you."

"Thank you," he said numbly. Superman gave him a strange look, and Richard mentally smacked himself. "I mean, you're welcome!" He finally remembered that he was still shaking his hand and he quickly let it go. "Uh, this is Jason," he said, motioning to the small boy who was hiding behind him, looking at the hero in nervous excitement.

Superman smiled, trying to fight back a full grin at seeing his son. He was so proud of him, and it warmed his heart to see his son looking so happy. "Hi, Jason." He had wanted to see him all day, and now that he was finally here, it was difficult to contain himself. He wanted to hold his son and tell him that he loved him and that everything was going to be all right. But Richard was there, and so, he held back.

Jason waved, then hid behind Richard again, grinning like he just saw Santa Claus. "Go on, kiddo," said Richard, motioning for him to go meet Superman, "Don't be shy. Show him what you made for him."

Jason walked over to Superman, hiding something behind his back, and motioned for him to come closer. Superman slowly knelt down in front of him, and Jason handed him a drawing. "Daddy told me you were sick because you didn't have the sun. So I gave you the sun."

Superman looked at the drawing, and he thought he was going to burst into tears of happiness. It was a drawing of him flying in front of the sun. He had never seen such a beautiful drawing in his entire life. "Thank you so much," he said, his voice shaking slightly. Jason pulled him into a hug and he hugged him back, trying not to cry. His son had given him the most beautiful gift in the world: hope. "Thank you. I feel better already." Now he felt rotten for being jealous of Richard. He had raised such a beautiful boy who had given him the sun, and with it, hope that he would fly again.

Jason pulled away from the embrace and tugged on Superman's arm. "We got burritos! I know you like them!" Superman couldn't help but smile broadly as he allowed Jason to pull him away. He wondered how Jason could possibly know what he liked, but he pushed that thought aside because he was spending time with his son, and nothing else mattered.

Lois smiled as she watched them disappear into the kitchen, thinking about what a great father Superman was going to be. She was so happy that Jason liked Superman and she hoped he would never grow out of it. "He gave him the sun?"

"I thought it was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen," he said, smiling, then his smile fell when he remembered why Superman needed the sun in the first place. "By the way, how is he?"

She sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. "He's feeling better, but he doesn't know how long it'll last, and with this weather…" She glanced at a window and was dismayed by all the rain. "I don't know what we're going to do if he can't fly to the sun tomorrow."

It pained him to see her so worried about Superman. He may be losing his family to the superhero, but he didn't want anything to happen to him, and Lois was clearly suffering with him. "Well, Lois, I was thinking… if he can't fly tomorrow, I'd be happy to take him flying on the seaplane."

"You'd do that for him?" she asked, touched by his selflessness.

"Of course I would," he said in complete honesty, and she threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely. He hugged her back, smiling sadly. They really needed to talk, but it could wait a little longer. "It's the least I can do."

"I don't deserve you," she whispered. She pulled back and looked into his beautiful, green eyes. She could see all the questions in his eyes that only she had the answers for and she promised herself that she'd tell him everything soon. He deserved as much. "I'm, uh… going to change," she said, looking down at her wet clothes. "You don't mind staying alone with him?"

It was a scary thought. What could he possibly say to Superman? But he'd already agreed to let Superman stay with them, so he had to be a good host and talk to the man, even if he had no idea what he was going to say to him. Well, he could ask him about Jason, but that didn't seem appropriate. "I don't mind," he said, "I'll, uh… go talk to him, then."

"Thank you," she said, smiling gratefully, "It means a lot to me."

"I know," he said, trying to smile. He lovingly followed her with his eyes as she hurried up to their room to change out of her wet clothes. He loved her so much, and he didn't want to lose her, but what choice did he have? If Jason was Superman's son, and Lois really loved him, then he didn't want to stand in their way.

He took a deep breath and then let it out as he walked to the kitchen to meet Superman. _Lord, help me…_ He saw Jason and Superman sitting at the kitchen table, with Jason showing him all the food they got. He watched them from the doorframe for a moment, unsure of what to think. Superman looked happy despite how tired he was, and Jason… His little boy was smiling. He hadn't seen him smile since Friday. Was he losing his family to the superhero already?

Two pairs of blue eyes turned to look at him, and he felt his heart sinking. _They look so much alike… _He had always wondered how Jason could have blue eyes when his were green and Lois' were blue and hazel. _What if Jason really is Superman's son? _

"Daddy!" exclaimed Jason, grinning at Richard.

Richard grinned at Jason, then glanced at Superman, whose gaze had dropped. If he did so because Jason wasn't his son, or because Jason wouldn't call him 'daddy' even if he was, he didn't know. "Uh, Lois had to go change. She'll be with us in a minute."

"Thank you, Mr. White," said Superman from the bottom of his heart. _Thank you for taking care of Lois and Jason while I was away, for raising such a beautiful son, for saving my life, for your hospitality…_ "I am grateful for everything you're doing for me."

"We're happy to have you," he said, meaning every word. After all, the situation with Jason wasn't Superman's fault, and he couldn't blame the hero for their family problems. "And please, Mr. White is my uncle. Call me Richard."

"Perry White?"

"You know him?" asked Richard, surprised. He had no idea that his uncle knew Superman. _Why does no one tell me these things? _

Superman couldn't help but smile to himself. "We've met." _Yeah, he's my boss… who will probably fire me if I don't show up at the Daily Planet tomorrow with that article that he wanted me to write. _He already knew who was responsible for the landmass, or 'New Krypton' as Lois called it, but how would he explain that to Perry? What was he going to do?

He was on thin ice, too; he left for five years, barely got his job back and then disappeared a few days later without a trace. Not to mention that he was supposed to work on the story about the blackouts and he never did, being in a coma and all. He seriously hoped that no one had found the clothes on top of the elevator shaft, or he'd really be in trouble.

"Huh…" was Richard's reply. He couldn't think of anything else to say. He was in the same room with Superman. There was a bit of awe and some disbelief that this was actually happening, but mostly, it was just nervousness. He didn't know how to behave around Superman. Should he treat him as a guest? A regular guy? Heck, should he treat him like a god? What was he supposed to do?

Superman could sense how uncomfortable Richard was, probably because of who he was. It was a problem he hadn't anticipated, although he should've known better. He could never talk to people as Superman because they always treated him differently. Maybe being earthbound and out of the suit could work to his advantage after all. He looked human and maybe Richard would start warming up to him. He had already confused him for Clark, so maybe it wasn't such a far-fetched idea.

Richard snapped his fingers, having just thought of something to talk about. "Oh, Lois said something about a sun lamp," said Richard, "Did she buy one?"

"No, but she borrowed one from the hospital," he said, "It's in the car."

"Good, I'll go get it," he offered and quickly left. He wanted Superman to feel better, but he was also glad to have something to do other than ponder how to behave around him during another one of those uncomfortable silences. _We need to work on that…_

"I'll help!" added Jason as he hopped off his chair and ran after Richard.

Superman was touched by that. His son wanted him to get better. It gave him hope that they'd welcome him into their home one day, not as their guest, but as part of their family. Jason would never call him 'daddy', and that was entirely his fault for leaving for five years, but as long as he got to watch over him and spend time with him, he'd be happy. He couldn't ask for more than they were willing to give.

He let out a long breath and rubbed his temples. As much as he hated to admit it, he just wanted to curl up in a warm, soft bed and drift off to sleep. He didn't have the energy to talk to Jason even though he desperately wanted to. He'd make it up to him later, maybe by taking him flying when he got his powers back. _I'm so tired… what's wrong with me? You don't have any sunlight, that's what's wrong with you. Why didn't you fly to the sun while you still could? _

Lois walked into the kitchen, finally dry except for her hair, and wearing different clothes. She had planned to take a shower and forget about her problems for a while, but the thought of leaving Superman all alone while he was so sick was too much for her. So she changed as quickly as she could and didn't even bother to blow-dry her hair just so she could be by his side again. Why was she so desperate to help him? It was over between them. But she was just helping a friend, right? That was perfectly normal, right?

She saw Superman sitting there all by his lonesome, and it worried her. _Oh, no, please tell me they were getting along…_ "Where'd they go?"

"They went to get the sun lamp."

"Oh, that was nice of them." There was still hope that they would get along. Or maybe Richard just wanted an excuse to get away from Superman and took Jason with him. This was going to be harder than she thought. "Well," she suddenly said, going over to look at the bags of food, "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. 'Why didn't you go to the cafeteria?' you ask. And I'm telling you there was no way I was going into that place. You know what they say about hospital food?"

"Oh, I've heard stories. But I wouldn't know."

"They didn't feed you?" She gaped at him, and then she felt fury rising in her chest. Oh, those doctors were going to pay. Everyone knew that he had to eat just like everyone else. It was right there in her 'I Spent the Night with Superman' article. Didn't they read it? Oh, she would write a scathing article about them. 'The Doctors who Starved Superman', she'd call it…

"No, but I was in a coma, and I left before anyone noticed I was awake," he said, wondering why she got so angry all of a sudden. _Lois Lane is out for blood today…_ Not to mention that a minute ago she had been complaining about their food…

"Oh, right." Why was she being so protective of him lately? For him, she almost wrecked her car and countless others, ran from the law, and threatened a secretary all in one day. Now she was threatening his doctors, too? _He's the father of your child, Lois. Of course you're going to want to protect him… _"Well, we've got plenty of food here… you hungry?"

"Not really," he said, feeling more tired than hungry anyway. "I went to Smallville this morning and my mother fixed enough breakfast to feed an army when I told her I hadn't eaten for three days," he said, chuckling. He loved his mother so much, but did she really have to cook so much food? He still didn't know how he managed to put all that away!

"Well, that was this morning; it's late in the afternoon!"

"Lois, I'm trying not to fall asleep here," he mumbled, starting to get annoyed with her. His moods had been shifting sporadically as of late. He could be utterly depressed one minute and angry the next and it frustrated him to no end. _Maybe the sun really does affect my moods…_ "Can I please go to bed?"

She looked at him. There were shadows under his eyes, which were accentuated by the paleness of his skin, and he looked like he was making an effort to keep his eyes open. He was also slouching, something he never did as Superman. She had never seen him look so miserable and it broke her heart. "All right, I'll take you to my room."

"Uh…" She had taken him to her bed in the morning, despite his protests, but Richard wasn't around at the time. It's not like he would've walked in and seen Superman in their bed. He didn't want to think about all the uncomfortable questions that would bring up. Besides, he'd feel infinitely more comfortable somewhere else. "I think I'd rather take the couch."

"The couch? Like hell you are. If you're so uncomfortable in my bed, you can take the guest room. I already set it up for Clark, and I know he won't mind that I'm lending it to you," she said, chuckling at the inside joke.

"I hope so," he mumbled, then stopped. _Wait a minute, I'm Clark…_ He groaned and buried his face in his hands. _Oh my god, I'm more tired than I thought! _

She couldn't believe her ears. Did he just forget he was Clark? "Okay, wait here while I go get the sun lamp," she said. She heard him mumble something that sounded like 'okay' and watched him as he crossed his arms on the table and rested his head on them like a pillow. "Don't fall asleep on me!" He mumbled something she didn't quite understand as he waved her away, and she quickly left the kitchen. She couldn't wait to drag him to bed and put him under the sun lamp. _That poor man…_

She saw Richard in the living room, sitting on the couch with the sun lamp in hand. Jason was sitting next to him, looking bored and restless. "What are you two doing here?" she asked, "You could've come into the kitchen."

"We didn't want to interrupt," said Richard, looking at the floor.

"Oh. Well, thanks for getting the sun lamp, Richard. You saved me a trip to the car!" He gave her a half-hearted smile, which quickly faded away. He just stared at the floor and looked lost in thought, and her heart skipped a beat. Was he having second thoughts about Superman staying at their house? No, he wouldn't do that. Then, did he suspect that he wasn't Jason's real father? So many questions and none of them were good. "What's wrong?"

"Jason, could you go keep Superman company?"

"I can go now?" said Jason, perking up.

"Yeah, go on, kiddo," replied Richard, trying to smile. Jason quickly hopped off the couch and ran into the kitchen before his daddy could change his mind.

Her worried look deepened. He never sent Jason away unless he was deadly serious about something. "Richard?"

"Look, Lois…"

Meanwhile, in the Kitchen…

Jason ran into the kitchen, happy that he was going to spend more time with Superman. Maybe he could show him all the toys in his room later! He had a cool plane that he wanted Superman to see. Oh, but he wouldn't tell him about the Aquaman pajamas because he didn't want to make him feel bad. Mommy bought them for him; it wasn't his fault, but still.

He saw Superman at the table, using his arms like a pillow. "Superman!" He didn't get an answer, so he went to stand next to him, thinking Superman didn't hear him even though he has super-hearing. He thought that was odd, but maybe he was really sick. Poor Superman; he really needed the sun. He'd have to make him another drawing…

"Superman?" he tried again, but still no answer. He poked him in the arm, nothing. He poked him a few more times, still nothing. "Uh-oh…"

Back in the Living Room

"I don't know how to say this…"

Lois was waiting with baited breath for what Richard was going to tell her, fearing the worst. _He has that tone in his voice. Oh, god… _

"Mommy!"

She turned toward the sound of her son's voice and saw him running out of the kitchen. She panicked. Did something happen to Superman? "Jason! What's wrong?!"

"Superman fell asleep."

She let out a long breath of relief and held a hand to her chest, trying to calm her nerves. "Oh, thank god." Richard hanged his head, and she looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, he's been tired all day. I'm actually surprised he lasted this long. Help me take him to the guest room, will you?"

"You mean, he's not staying in our…?"

"No, Richard." Now she understood why Superman didn't want to stay in her room. In light of Richard's suspicions and everything that was happening, staying in their room wasn't a very good idea. She didn't want to make them an already-awkward situation even worse.

She went back to the kitchen and saw him sleeping there. It was utterly adorable. _Why is that man so cute when he's sick? …You're pathetic, Lois, you know that? _She walked over to him and nudged his shoulder. "Hey…" He groaned low in his throat and turned his head away from her. "Oh, come on, get up." He mumbled something incoherent and she planted her hands on her hips. "Don't make me ask Richard to carry you!" Richard gaped at her, and Lois shrugged helplessly.

He groaned and slowly pushed his chair away from the table and dragged himself back to his feet. "I'm up, I'm up," he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

Lois latched on to his arm and dragged him to the guest room. She heard Jason following them and stopped to address him. "I'm just going to go put Superman to bed, okay? Stay here." Jason kicked his feet and then went to sit at the table, folding his arms. "Hey, Richard, could you bring the sun lamp?"

"Sure, Lois," he whispered.

His tone of voice preoccupied her. Something was truly bothering him and she had a pretty good idea what it was. _We'll talk after I put Superman to bed…_ "You know, I still can't believe you fell asleep in the kitchen," she told him as she pulled him into the guest room.

"It was safer than your car," he joked.

She gave him a dirty look as he laughed. "Oh, just get into bed." She pulled the covers for him and watched him as he took his shoes off and climbed into bed. It worried her that he was moving so stiffly. "How's you back?"

He couldn't lie to her. The wound was aching and it was starting to feel warmer than the rest of his body, which worried him. The doctors had told him that maybe it was draining his energy as a healing mechanism, which explained why it was so hot while the rest of his body was cold. At least he had the sun lamp, which was better than nothing. Tomorrow, hopefully, he would have the sun, and all this pain would be nothing but a bad dream.

"It's aching," he told her, hoping she wouldn't panic and race him to the hospital again. He never wanted to go through anything like that again for as long as he lived…

"Damn," she muttered. She placed a hand on his forehead, then his cheek, and cursed under her breath when she noticed how cold he was. She didn't notice him staring at her in shock at her choice of words. "Where's Richard with that sun lamp?" She left the room and saw him standing there next to the door, with the sun lamp in hand. She sighed and took it from him. "I'll be out in a minute."

She went back into the room, trying to keep her mind off what Richard wanted to tell her for a while longer. "Here, I got it," she said as she went to find a place to plug it into. She set it up next to the bed and turned it on.

He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly as his body soaked in the radiation. Sunlight always felt good, and this was almost as good as the real thing. Already, he could feel his body temperature balance out and his back stop aching. "Thank you," he said, then glanced at the door. "Is Richard okay?"

"Why do you ask?"

"His heart's beating really fast, just like yours," he said, looking worried about her, "Is everything okay?"

"I thought you said you lost your powers," she said, changing the subject. She didn't want to talk about this with Superman. Not yet, anyway. "Are you getting them back, or…?"

"No, my super-hearing still works," he said, "So, is everything okay, or…?"

"You know, you'd worry less if you stopped listening to people's heartbeats," she said, sitting next to him on the bed and making him lie down. "Go to sleep."

He wanted to tell her that he loved listening to her heartbeat and it was the one thing that kept him going while he thought he was going to die in that hospital bed earlier today. He could be listening to the entire world, and he would find her heartbeat in an instant. But Richard could've heard him, and he didn't want to put any more strain on their relationship. He sighed and just kept it to himself. Maybe he would tell her someday.

"I have to go," she said, and got up to leave.

"Lois…" Richard probably suspected that he wasn't Jason's father. He had seen the look on Richard's face when he saw him with Jason. "You know I never meant to hurt him. I…"

"I know," she said, soothingly. "It's not your fault." He looked into her eyes, and she found herself lost in his gaze. A moment later, she caught herself and pulled back. "Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"I will. Thank you, Lois… for everything."

"Bye," she whispered, then left the room and closed the door behind her. She saw Richard standing there, looking deadly serious, and she knew the time had come to be completely honest with him.

"Lois… we have to talk."

**To Be Continued**

What will happen next? Beats me! I guess we'll all just have to wait and see, including me (and I'm the writer!)

Anyway, I hope you guys liked the fic. Please remember to review!

-DT


	8. Chapter VIII

"I mean it this time," I said, "I'll try to post Chapter VIII soon!" And look, exactly eleven months later, I finally post Chapter VIII. Gah, I'm SO sorry! I tried, I really tried, but when I had the time, I didn't have the inspiration, and when I had the inspiration, I didn't have the time. It was a mess. 

I give you a thousand apologies... and Chapter VIII, at last. If you're still here, thanks for sticking around. If not, I completely understand! 

Anyway, here's the long-awaited continuation of The Day After! I hope it was worth the wait! 

EDIT: I fixed a typo! If you spot any others, please PM me! 

**Superman Returns  
"The Day After"**

Chapter VIII 

"Lois… we have to talk." 

Richard was deadly serious indeed. Lois was still a mystery to him, but what he did know was that she didn't like talking about her feelings for Superman, or whatever had happened between them in the past. She would always change the subject and talk about something else, or completely deny everything, but not anymore. He was going to find out who Jason's real father was and nobody was going to stop him. 

"Richard…" He could see how hesitant she was and he knew what was coming next. She would change the subject because she knew exactly what he wanted to ask her. "Listen, Jason's alone in the kitchen, I've got an article to write, and Superman's…" 

"Lois," he cut her off before she started rambling about Superman again, "I've waited all day to talk to you, alone. Now we're alone. So, what's it going to be?" 

She looked to be weighing her options for a moment, then finally gave in. "All right." He saw her look around. "Here?" 

Richard glanced at the door to the guest room, where Superman was, then at the kitchen, where Jason was sitting all by himself. "No, they could hear us," he said, starting to head outside, "And you know how good Jason's hearing is." He heard her stop dead in her tracks, but after the momentary shock, she continued following him outside. 

"Yeah, and Superman still has his super-hearing." He stared at her, finally realizing that Superman could hear their private conversation. "But he's asleep, so…" 

"I doubt he'd eavesdrop on our private conversation anyway," he said pointedly, just in case he was listening so he'd take the hint and tune in elsewhere. 

"Oh, stop, he wouldn't do that." Then she seemed to remember something and turned back. "I have to take care of Jason first. I'll be with you in a minute, okay?" 

"I'll be outside," he said, then left without another word. 

He sat down on the porch and just thought about what he was going to say. His heart was racing and he took deep breaths to calm down. He had to stay calm; he knew getting upset wouldn't help him and it would only push Lois away. The last thing he wanted was to give her a reason to take Jason and leave with Superman. He loved her, and he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she didn't know that Superman was the father. Maybe he was just imagining things and Jason was really his. Or maybe… no, he refused to believe that Lois knew the truth and kept him in the dark all these years. He would never be able to forgive her for that. 

He looked out at the dark clouds and pouring rain, lost in his thoughts. If it wasn't for the weather, maybe Superman wouldn't be in their house, and he never would've realized the striking similarities between him and Jason. Eventually, he would've written off Superman's visit the night before as being another routine check by the superhero. Superman doing that was rare, but not entirely unheard of. But he'd seen those unnaturally blue eyes on both of them and he could never go back to being in the dark. Now his entire family was in jeopardy and it wasn't from a sinking yacht, but from Superman coming into their lives and possibly claiming what was rightfully his. How was he supposed to compete with that? He just didn't know what to do. 

So, Richard just sat there for a while, going over all his options, when he finally heard the door open. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Lois at the door, looking just as nervous as he was. He quickly left his seat and motioned for Lois to sit down, which she did after some hesitation. He paced back and forth for a while, thinking of what to say, but came up empty. 

"Lois," he finally said, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to find the words, "I don't know how to say this…" She just stared at him, waiting for him to continue, and he finally decided that it would be fitting to begin the interrogation with the event that started it all. "I saw Superman visit Jason last night." 

She was silent for a while. "Yes, he did visit Jason." 

"Why would Superman do that?" He saw Lois open her mouth to speak, but nothing came out and she just closed it again, looking away. "What did you say to him that made him come out of his coma?"

"I… I told him…" She just looked at him, but she couldn't look at him for long and she looked down at her clasped hands instead. "I said to him…" She took a deep breath and tried to form the words, but nothing came out. 

He could only imagine what she was thinking. Should she tell him the truth? Should she lie? After all, the truth could change their lives, while the lie could leave everything the way it was. He was tempted to fall back on that, too. They had a good life; they had a future, but as much as he wanted to hold on to that and never let go, he couldn't continue living a lie. 

"I know what you said to him," he said, turning away from Lois and looking out into the rain, "You told him Jason was his son… didn't you?" He looked at Lois out of the corner of his eye, and saw how difficult it was for her to speak. This was difficult for both of them, but still, he pressed on. "Please, be honest with me. I think I deserve as much." 

"I…" 

"Please, Lois. I have to know." 

Another long, unbearable silence. "Yes." It was just one little word. It must've cost her a lot to say it, but once it was out, that one little word shook the very foundation of his world. It felt like he'd just been stabbed in the heart with just one word, and when she elaborated, it felt like his heart was ripped out of his chest. "I told him Jason was his son." 

He looked at her and her expression said it all. "And it's true." It wasn't a question. She nodded, and he bit his lower lip and squeezed his eyes shut, taking deep breaths to stop himself from crying. He could feel his world crumbling around him, along with the happy little life they had built together. They remained in complete silence for what seemed like ages, until finally, he regained some composure and spoke, "Why… why did you lie to me?" 

"Richard…" he heard her say, but he wouldn't look at her. He heard her approach him and then felt her hands touch his shoulders, but her attempt to comfort him just made him feel worse. "I never meant to hurt you. I honestly thought…" 

"That I would never find out?" he said bitterly, his shoulders shaking. "Is that what you hoped for? That I'd continue to live in the dark like an idiot?" 

"Please, let me explain…" she pleaded with him. 

What was there to explain? She lied to him for five years and made him believe Jason was his son. He felt like such a fool for taking so long to see the truth. It was only a matter of time before she ran off with Superman, leaving Richard all alone to pick up the pieces of his broken life. "How could you do this to me?" he pleaded, his voice breaking. 

"It's not what you think. Just please, let me…" 

"What's there to explain!" he cried, cutting her off. 

"I didn't know he was Superman's son," she said, holding his shoulders, "I honestly thought he was yours." 

"…Really?" That comforted him somewhat. If she didn't know the truth until recently, then… that meant that she hadn't been lying to him. She hadn't been secretly laughing at him behind his back for five years. No, it meant that she was suffering by this revelation just as much as he was. "Because I swear, Lois, if you knew and kept me in the dark all this time…" He bit back on his tears. "It's over, you hear me? It's over." 

"I didn't know," she reassured him, "Not until he pushed a piano a few days ago." 

"The piano I saw on Luthor's yacht," he stated, remembering, "Jason did that?" 

She looked troubled for a moment, and he stared at her, trying to decipher that look. He didn't know if she was hiding something or if she was just reminiscing about the events of that day. "Yeah, that's why we were locked up in the pantry." 

Richard looked alarmed by the news and all traces of self-pity left his being. His worry for his beloved son, biological or otherwise, was stronger than his pain. He didn't even want to think about whatever Lois wasn't telling him, if anything. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been more important than the revelation that Jason was in danger from the same madman that almost killed Superman. "Then… Lex Luthor knows about Jason," he said, horrified by the thought of Luthor planning to use Jason to get to Superman, "Lois, does Superman know?" 

"I told him, and I know he'll protect him." 

"But he's…" He looked back at the house, in the direction of the guest room. "He's incapacitated." The seriousness of Superman being unable to fly finally hit him head-on and he suddenly wanted nothing more than for the sun to shine and give him his powers back. "I'll take him flying in the morning." 

She smiled at him gratefully. "You're a good man, Richard," she said, then frowned. "Even after what you just found out, you're still willing to help him…" 

"Superman's the only one who can protect Jason," he said quickly. It sounded so cold, but he'd just been delivered a terrible blow and he couldn't help sounding like that. He really did care about Superman getting better and not just for Jason's sake, but he couldn't help the tone of his voice. It felt like Superman was taking everything he cared about away from him and he was helpless to stop it. 

"Still, I know this isn't easy for you…" 

He scoffed at that, and regretted it two seconds later. "Sorry," he muttered. 

"You have every right to be angry," she said, frowning. 

"I'm not angry. I guess I always had my doubts." At Lois' shocked look, he elaborated. "I've spent my day off thinking about this, and everything suddenly made sense. Your amnesia, Superman leaving, us meeting, Jason being born premature…" He took a deep breath and then let it out, then sat down as if his legs wouldn't hold him anymore. "I can't find it in me to be angry with you." 

"My head was such a mess at the time," she said, sitting with him and taking his hand, "I hope you understand I never meant to hurt you." He just nodded, even though he was definitely hurt. "And I hope this doesn't change the way you feel about Jason." She squeezed his hand a little. "You'll always be Jason's father to me." 

"You know I'll always love Jason," he said, smiling a little, but frowned when he thought about the implications of what Lois said. "But what about Superman? He's…" he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. 

She sighed. "He told me he'd never take Jason from you and I believe him. He just wants to teach him to control his powers, and maybe spend time with him…" 

"And what do you want?" he said lowly, unable to look at her. If he wasn't Jason's father, then Lois had no reason to stay with him. 

"I want what's best for Jason, and I think it would be better if both his fathers were always around." She smiled at him hopefully, nervously. "We can handle that, right?" 

"We'll make it work." Yes, both fathers would always be around… but which father would be forced to watch Jason grow from afar with only the occasional visits to look forward to? Would it be Superman, or him? It all depended on Lois, and he had to know what she wanted. "What do you really want, Lois?" He took her left hand, looking at her engagement ring. "Do you want the superhero, or me?" 

She remained silent for a few seconds, but the wait was excruciating for Richard. Her silence spoke volumes about her feelings for Superman. "You… you know I don't love Superman," she stammered out. She smiled at him weakly, "I told you as much a few days ago." 

"Lois…" He shook his head, sighing. Why did he still feel that wasn't true? "You know I only want you and Jason to be happy." He took her hands in both of his and looked into her eyes. "I've given this a lot of thought, and… I'm willing to let you go if you want to stay with Superman." 

"Richard…" she sighed, "I appreciate that, but…" 

"Just think about it, okay?" She looked away, and he cupped her chin with one hand and turned her head to look at him. As much as he wanted them to be together, he couldn't ask her to forget about Superman if she loved him. If they did stay together, then it was only because they both wanted it. He couldn't bear the thought of holding on to her when she loved someone else and being miserable for the rest of their lives. "That's all I ask of you." 

"There's nothing to think about," she said sternly, "He blew his chances when he left without saying good-bye. But… I'll think about it." 

"Thank you." Finally, he'd gotten it out of his system. He'd finally asked Lois to think about which man she wanted to stay with, which in turn affected Jason. But he could tell Lois was still in denial about her feelings for Superman and he didn't know what to think. He didn't know what Lois wanted, and he didn't think Lois herself knew either. 

Something made Lois look out into the sky, and he followed her gaze. The sun was beginning to set and it was still raining hard. Abruptly, Lois left her seat and started heading inside in a hurry. "It's getting dark. I'd better go make sure he's all right!" She stopped at the door, and then looked back at him. "You don't mind, do you?" 

It wasn't dark yet, but he understood why she was so worried about Superman. He knew Superman had a difficult night ahead of him and he needed all the help he could get. Despite everything they were going through, he still wanted Superman to be all right. "No, no… this is important," he said, motioning for her to keep going, "Go make sure he's okay." 

"Thanks," she said, and then she was gone. 

Richard sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, then just held his head in his hands. "I'll just stay here a while longer," he said to himself. He was trying to be strong for Jason; he was in danger from Lex Luthor after all, but it was difficult. His whole world had been turned upside down today, and he wanted nothing more than to fly off and forget about his problems for a while. But thanks to the rain, he was grounded… just like Superman. 

Maybe they weren't so different after all. 

Inside

Lois rushed to the guest room. It was getting dark, and she knew it would have dire effects on Superman's health. He had been ill all day because he wasn't getting enough sunlight, and she couldn't imagine how the sun setting would affect him in his state. She wasn't sure how he was going to last the night either. He did have the sun lamp, but it wasn't the same as flying above the clouds and soaking in the sun's rays. 

She entered the room and saw him sleeping on his left side, looking so peaceful. She closed the door behind her and went to sit next to him on the bed, looking him over. She touched his forehead and was relieved to feel his warmth and to see that he was breathing normally. She was going to make sure he made it to sunrise, even if she had to stay up all night watching over him. She had that article about Lex Luthor to write anyway, and she'd been meaning to finish her "Why the World Needs Superman" article for days. She could work on those during the night and check in on Superman every hour. 

She sat there in silence for a while, watching him sleep, lost in her thoughts again. She told Richard that she didn't love Superman. But if what she was doing wasn't love, then she didn't know what was. Maybe… maybe she still loved him, but it was too late for them. She had Richard, who had always been there for her, unlike Superman. But she couldn't deny that she cared about him… Why else would she be doing this? 

_Do you want the superhero, or me?_

She sighed and touched Superman's hair gently, thinking about Richard's question. _I don't know, Richard. I don't know…_

In The Kitchen

Jason was sitting in the kitchen all by himself, eating a burrito. His parents had gone outside to talk, which worried him a little, but seeing his mommy on her way to talk to Superman worried him even more. Was he in trouble? Were they going to punish him? But he didn't mean to hurt the bad man. The piano just flew out of his hands. 

He was so sorry about what happened to the bad man. He felt it was his fault that he was hurt so bad, and what's worse, he was still under the piano when the other bad men dragged them away and locked them up. Why didn't Superman save the bad man when he pulled the yacht out of the ocean? He remembered looking back on the yacht and wondering about the bad man. He was afraid to talk to anyone about it because they could punish him. Daddy had already tried talking to him, but he didn't know what happened on the boat, and he didn't want to tell him for fear of being grounded. Maybe he could talk to Superman. Superman always knew what to do. 

He saw mommy leaving the guest room, where Superman was resting, and he braced himself for the worst. Was she going to punish him? Is that what she had been talking to Superman about? Did Superman already know about the bad man? To his surprise, she came into the kitchen, looked in the bags, got her food, served herself a glass of white wine and sat down at the table with him to eat. 

"Mommy?" 

"Yeah, Jason?" asked Lois as she downed some wine. Ah, she needed that. Her world was quickly spiraling out of her control and she needed to clear her head. Richard, Superman… she didn't know what to do about the two men in her life. Well, three, if you counted Clark Kent, who had also become a part of their lives. _God, what a mess…_

"Am I grounded?" he asked softly, staring at his plate. 

She looked at him sadly, then drank more wine. "Jason," she started, putting her glass down, pausing to organize her thoughts. She hadn't even told Richard about Jason taking a life in self-defense. She had seen how Superman reacted to the news and she couldn't find it in her heart to put Richard through that when the man was obviously in pain. She promised herself that she'd tell him soon, though. "You didn't do anything wrong, okay? We're not grounding you." 

"But, I…" 

"You saved mommy, and that's what matters, okay?" He nodded and resumed picking at his food, but she could tell he wasn't satisfied. "I'm sorry, honey. I just have so much on my mind right now. It's grown-up stuff. You don't want to hear about grown-up stuff, do you?" Jason made a face and shook his head, and she smiled. "I didn't think so." She finished her wine and set the glass down. "Eat your burrito. We'll talk about this later."

He continued picking at his food, wondering. "I'm not allergic anymore. Why?" 

She was at a loss for words. It was because he was Superman's son, obviously, but she couldn't tell Jason about that yet. "Well, honey…" she said, trying to find the words, "Sometimes allergies just… clear up on their own." Boy, that was lame. Was that really the best she could come up with? But it seemed to satisfy him, because he was smiling again. 

"So I can eat whatever I want?" 

"Whatever you want," she said, trying to smile. "Tell you what, we'll order Chinese tomorrow, and you'll get to try the egg rolls." Jason looked so happy… and it made her happy in turn. She wondered if Superman wouldn't mind flying to China when he got his powers back and getting them real Chinese food. Wouldn't that be great? And why was she thinking about food at a time like this? Imagine, sending Superman on a food run to China… 

"My asthma's gone, too!" he said, beaming. 

"Yeah." She smiled gently. "Everything's going to be okay. You'll see." 

Everything was going to be okay eventually. But things were definitely not okay. Two of the men in her life had been delivered terrible blows in different ways. Superman was ill from a vicious stabbing in the back with kryptonite, and Richard… he'd just found out that the son he loved and raised for five years wasn't really his. They were good men and they didn't deserve to be suffering like that. It just made her even angrier at Lex Luthor for creating that damned continent, or island, or planet, or whatever that monstrosity was. Not to mention that Luthor was probably the one who sent Superman away for five years in the first place! 

Well, she'd had enough. She was going to put that madman behind bars if it was the last thing she did. She finished her burrito and had another glass of wine, then cleared the table when Jason was done with his food. As she did the dishes, she thought about the last time she had been this inspired to write, when she wrote 'Why the World Doesn't Need Superman'. She sighed, feeling bad for writing that article all over again, and she promised herself that she'd work on 'Why the World Needs Superman' soon. 

"Where's daddy? Why didn't he eat with us?" 

She let the water run for a while as she stared off into space, thinking of what to say. "Daddy isn't feeling well, honey. He'll be okay soon." _I hope._ She finished doing the dishes and putting them away, then started making her way to her office. "Mommy has to work. I'll be in my office. You need anything before I go?"

"Can I talk to Superman?" he asked her abruptly. 

"Oh, honey… He's asleep. You shouldn't wake him up." She knew Superman wouldn't mind his son waking him up for a talk, but he needed his rest. "You know he isn't feeling well." 

"Yeah…" he sighed, looking down. 

She kissed him on the forehead and it seemed to cheer him up. "Maybe you'll get to talk to him later. But I have work to do." He didn't look happy by that, but she knew he understood. "Go wash up, then go play or something. But don't play the piano. You'll wake him up." 

"I don't want to play the piano," he said sternly. 

She sighed, saddened by the thought that Jason may never play the piano again. She remembered how much he used to enjoy it, and how determined he was to learn how to play 'Heart and Soul'. Now the house seemed so quiet without Jason's music. She could add that to the list of things that Luthor had taken from them. "All right. Play with your toys. I'll check in on you later." He nodded, hopped off the stool and went upstairs to his room. 

She watched him go, then quickly went to her office to boot up her laptop and get to work. As the computer finished loading, she wondered where Richard was. Was he still out on the porch? Did he fly off? She had left him so abruptly, worried about Superman… but she wasn't sure if she should go back and see how he was doing or leave him be until he cooled down. She just didn't know what to do. 

She took out her tape recorder and rewound the tape as she waited for the desktop to load. "Where do I begin?" she said to herself, looking out the large window in front of her at the pouring rain, searching for inspiration. Once the computer finished loading, she saw the password prompt and quickly typed in her password without really thinking about it, then pressed Enter. As the desktop loaded, it finally hit her that her password was 'Superman'. It baffled her that she hadn't changed her password in five years, even when she was angry with the guy. _You're hopeless, Lane, you know that?_

She fired up her word processor and, of course, turned off the spell check. A blank screen and the blinking cursor stared back at her. There was so much she wanted to say that she didn't even know where to start. What did she want to tell the world with this article? What did she hope to accomplish with it? She wanted Luthor behind bars. She wanted to protect her family from that madman. She wanted to make sure that Superman would never again fall out of the sky. She wanted… 

"Justice for Superman," she wrote as the tentative title. 

She'd probably change it later for something more catchy, but it would do until then. Justice was all she wanted for Superman. He'd suffered greatly at the hands of Luthor and his henchmen and he was still suffering. And where was Luthor? Probably hiding somewhere like the coward he was while the rest of the world cleaned up after him… savoring the thought that even though he failed, he'd still put Superman through hell. That thought made her so angry that she needed to take deep breaths to calm down. 

She pushed the "play" button on her tape recorder and listened to Superman tell the story of the events of that day. She listened with a heavy heart as he recounted the beating on New Krypton, the stabbing, the near-drowning, and ultimately, his great sacrifice in pulling the landmass out of the ocean and tossing it into space. The recording stopped just after she revealed to him that Luthor knew about their son… and exactly how he found out. Well, she wasn't going to give that man the chance to hurt her family again. 

And so, she began typing… 

Outside

Richard was sitting out on the porch, watching the pouring rain and the sunset. He needed to be alone, and if he went inside, then he could run into Lois, or Jason, or worse, Superman. He didn't know how to face any of them yet. He couldn't help feeling that he was in the way, even though he knew it was stupid of him to think that way. He and Lois were engaged to be married, and she'd already told him that Superman blew his chances with her. And even though he'd always love Jason regardless of who his real father was, he wondered if he was being selfish. Jason was Superman's son. _What right do I have to…_ No, he reminded himself, he had every right to have Jason and he wasn't being selfish. If Superman wanted a family, then he shouldn't have left the planet. It was his family, not Superman's, and he didn't care if he was the most powerful being on the planet… he wasn't going to let him take his family. 

He buried his face in his hands, ashamed for thinking that. Superman would never do that and all he wanted was to spend time with Jason, nothing more. But he knew in his heart that, if it wasn't for their engagement, then maybe Lois would give Superman another chance, and that maybe she and Jason would be happier with the superhero. He was also haunted by the thought that he was keeping Jason away from his real father and that he would never grow to his full potential because of that. He felt like he was in the way, and he couldn't remember ever feeling something so horrible. He wished he could make that feeling go away. 

He was also worried sick about Jason's safety. Luthor was still out there. What was stopping him from finding out where Lois lived and coming to take Jason? All that stood between Luthor and Jason was a sick and powerless superhero, a pilot and assistant editor for the Daily Planet, and a star reporter with a knack for getting herself into trouble… yeah, that wasn't exactly encouraging. They'd probably be better off getting a big dog to guard the house… 

"I'm not getting any sleep tonight," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. 

He sighed and just watched the rain for a while, feeling miserable. It felt like he'd been going over this for months when it had been less than a day, but no matter how many ways he looked at the situation, he couldn't figure out how to make everything better. Not only was he emotionally exhausted from thinking about this, but he was cold, tired, and he couldn't even fly off and get away from it all because of the rain. _This is just great. I have all of Superman's symptoms. What else can go wrong? _

Well, feeling sorry for himself wasn't accomplishing anything. His family still needed him… and Superman. Was he counting Superman as part of their family now? He didn't know, and he didn't want to think about the ramifications of that either. Not yet. 

So, he finally left his seat and went to open the door. He stood before the door for a moment, took a deep breath, then let it out and opened it. He looked around for a moment, hoping that nobody was in the living room, and to his relief, there was nobody there. Lois must've been in her office, Jason was probably in his room, and Superman was in the guest room. Good, he didn't want to face any of them yet. 

He closed the door behind him and locked it, then leaned against it. He continued looking at his home, wondering how it was possible that everything looked the same even though nothing would ever be the same. He thought back to the afternoon, when all he wanted was for everything to be normal, but… life would not be normal for one more day after all. 

"Maybe I'll go take that shower…" 

Later

Jason was in his room, sitting at his desk, drawing more pictures of Superman. It was getting late and it was a school night, but he just couldn't fall asleep. He couldn't stop thinking about the bad man. He had to know what happened to him, and only Superman could answer that question. Mommy told him not to wake up Superman because he wasn't feeling well, but he couldn't sleep thinking about the bad man. He just hoped Superman wouldn't mind. So, he put his drawings away and quietly made his way downstairs, then headed to the guest room. 

He saw daddy in the living room, and he remembered mommy saying that he wasn't feeling well either, so he did his best to be really quiet. He carefully opened the door to the guest room and looked inside. He saw Superman in bed and he seemed to be asleep. He also noticed there was a lamp next to him. He closed the door behind him, then walked to the bed and tried to nudge Superman awake. "Mr. Clark?" he whispered, but didn't get an answer. He nudged him harder, hoping to get an answer. "Hello?" 

Superman felt someone moving him, and he flinched and tried to go back to sleep, but the person wouldn't let up. He groaned low under his breath and slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What?" he muttered, then opened his eyes and saw Jason standing next to him, and whatever irritability he may have felt faded away. "Jason?" 

"I'm sorry I woke you up," he whispered. 

"Oh… no, it's okay. I don't mind," he said, and finally smiled. His son came to see him. It made him so happy, but… why did Jason look so troubled? "What's wrong?" 

"Can I ask you something?" 

"You can ask me anything," he said, trying not to sound worried. He saw Jason hesitating, then he heard him sniffing. Was he crying? It broke his heart in two. "Jason?" 

"Why didn't you save the bad man?" he asked, looking at him tearfully. 

It took him a moment to realize what Jason was talking about. He knew fatherhood wasn't easy, but he didn't expect it would be this difficult, especially on the first day. How do you tell a five-year-old boy about death? He didn't know how to handle this. He just didn't know what to do. Surely Richard was more qualified? He wasn't sure if he knew about the incident with the piano, though. But Jason didn't come to Richard; he came to Superman. 

"Jason…" he sighed, "Come here. Tell me everything." 

Jason sat next to him on the bed, and Superman didn't know whether to hold him or keep his distance. This was just so difficult. "I hurt someone," said Jason, "I hit him with a piano. I didn't know I could do that." He sniffled again. "He was on the boat… and you didn't save him. Why, Superman?" 

He could see Jason looking at him expectantly, waiting for his answer, but he didn't know what to say. "Jason, I didn't save him because… he…" He didn't know how to tell him that he'd x-rayed the yacht for other survivors but didn't find any. He felt even guiltier for leaving the planet all those years and not teaching his son how to control his powers. Now he was facing the consequences of that terrible mistake. "He…" _Oh, God, give me strength…_ "He was gone," he finally said, not knowing how else to say it. 

"The bald man took him…?" asked Jason hopefully. 

If he thought this was difficult before, then it just became more difficult. "No… I mean… gone." He saw Jason's blue eyes well up with tears and it broke his heart. "I… I couldn't do anything for him." He saw his beautiful little boy begin to cry and he couldn't take it anymore and finally pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry, Jason…" He just kept crying, and it made his own eyes mist up with tears. "Your mother told me what happened," he said, trying to comfort his little boy, "She told me you saved her." 

"But I didn't mean to hurt the bad man," he said tearfully. 

"I know, Jason," he said, holding him, "I know." He remembered what he said earlier, before he found out about the incident with the piano, that he'd be proud of Jason no matter what. He realized that he still meant that, even though he wished it were under better circumstances. "You saved your mother, and… I'm proud of you." 

"Really?" asked Jason, looking up at him and smiling a little.

"Really." He gave him a reassuring smile. "I promise, everything is going to be okay." 

If Superman said everything was going to be okay, then everything was going to be okay. Superman never lied, and that thought comforted Jason's troubled mind and soon enough, he was finally drifting off to sleep. Superman held him for a moment longer, then gently picked him up in his arms and started carrying him back to his room. He stopped at the bottom of the steps, wondering if he could fly up the stairs and not disturb Jason, but he still couldn't fly. To his surprise, that didn't bother him much at the moment. He was more worried about Jason. 

He walked up the steps, careful not to wake Jason, and took him to his room. He pulled the covers back and gently placed Jason down on the bed, then pulled the covers over him. He watched him for a moment, making sure he was still asleep, then started walking away when he noticed the drawings on the desk. He picked them up and looked at a few of them, and smiled. It was obvious that Jason loved Superman, and it made him so happy. 

He glanced at his little boy again, and realized that Jason could wake up again and no one would be around to comfort him. So, he decided to stay and watch over him for a while and make sure that his little boy had a peaceful sleep. 

A While Later

Lois pushed her chair away from the desk and stretched a little. She'd poured her heart and soul into this article, and she was hesitant to take a break when it was so close to completion, but there was something she needed to do first. It was time for Jason to go to bed, and of course, she had to check on Superman. 

She left her seat and stretched some more, then walked out of her office and to the stairs. She saw Richard in the living room, curled up on the couch with a blanket, watching a movie. He didn't look upset, and she was worried about him, so she went over there to see how he was doing. "Hey," she said, softly. He just said 'hey' back and continued watching TV. "Are you… sleeping on the couch tonight?" she asked hesitantly. 

"I don't know. Maybe." 

"I understand," she said, rubbing her arm, not knowing what else to say, then she noticed what he was watching. "You're watching E.T.?" 

"Yeah, it was on," he said, shrugging, "And I'm seeing it in a whole new light. Now I can't help thinking… how different things would be if Superman didn't look human." 

"What, you're picturing E.T. in blue tights and a cape?" For the first time in hours, she saw him smile. She missed his smile. "Because that's a scary mental image, Richard." 

"I know, I know…" he said, smiling a little, "Just something to think about. What if he were a little green man? Would people have welcomed him with open arms?" _And would Lois have fallen for him? I seriously doubt it…_

"I don't know," she said, thinking about it. "I guess not. We would probably fear him. Humans fear what they don't understand, and all that." 

"Yeah. How is he anyway?" 

"Well, the last time I checked, he seemed fine. I'm sure he'll be all right until sunrise if he stays put," she said, then placed a hand on his shoulder, and Richard looked up at her again. "You need anything?" 

"I'm good." He turned back to the TV, whispering, "All things considered…" 

She sighed, then patted his shoulder. "I'm going to go put Jason to bed." 

"Don't bother," he told her, "Superman already did that." She just palmed her forehead in frustration. She'd told Jason not to wake him up and he went and did it anyway. "He didn't seem to mind," he muttered, noticing her frustration, "Anyway, he's still upstairs." 

"What? He knows he needs to stay under the sun lamp!" She marched right upstairs, ready to give Superman a piece of her mind. She went to Jason's room and she saw Superman sitting next to the bed, watching over a sleeping Jason. "What are you doing?" she whispered fiercely, not wanting to wake up Jason, "You're supposed to be in bed!" 

"I know." 

"So, why aren't you…" He looked at her sadly, then he went back to looking at Jason, and she instantly lost the will to argue. "Is something wrong?" 

"Lois," he whispered, "Jason asked me what happened to the man who tried to kill you. And… I had to look him in the eye and tell him." She saw his eyes quivering with emotion and it broke her heart. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't left…" 

She sighed, not knowing what to say. She walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders, rubbing them absentmindedly. He sighed contentedly, comforted by the gesture, and she smiled at that. "There's nothing you can do about it now. All you can do is be there for him from now on." 

"You're right," he said, placing his hand on hers. 

"Come on, we don't want to wake him up," she whispered, and he agreed. He stood up and went to the door, stopping to look at Jason over his shoulder, before leaving the room. Lois followed him out and closed the door behind her. "You go on to bed. I have an article to finish writing. And you know Perry… he wants the articles on his desk as soon as possible." 

"Oh, believe me, I know what you mean." Then he remembered that Perry assigned a story to him, too, and he hadn't even started it! "Oh, my god…" He stopped dead in his tracks and looked worried. "Perry's going to fire me." 

"What?" she asked, dumbfounded. Perry was going to fire Superman! Oh… oh, that's right. She kept forgetting he was Clark. She was still trying to come to terms with that little revelation. "Why would Perry fire you?" 

"That article he asked me to write, about who was responsible for that thing I threw into space, I…" He groaned out loud. "I haven't started it. I mean, of course I know who was responsible. I was there. But how do I explain that to Perry?" 

"Ooh…" She hissed with sympathy. "That's bad." He looked at her miserably, and she knew that was the last thing he wanted to hear. "You'll figure something out," she said, then she touched his cheek and smiled at him. "See? Things are looking up already." 

He watched her go downstairs, then felt his cheek, surprised that he felt warm. He sighed, then went downstairs, worried about many things, and one of them was how to keep his job. He couldn't afford to lose it. As he headed to the guest room, he heard a familiar theme coming from the TV. He couldn't help himself and walked to the living room to see what was on. "Is that E.T.?" 

"Yeah," said Richard, trying not to sound uncomfortable. "You've seen it?" 

"Once. That scene with the agents gave me nightmares," he admitted. 

"It did?" he asked, shocked. Richard couldn't believe it. "Why?" 

"Well, look what they're doing to him," he said, pointing at the screen. "Look what they're doing just because he's an alien. That scene gave me nightmares for a week." 

"Huh. I never thought about it from the point of view of the alien." Superman stared at him, and he wished he could take that back. "I-I don't mean anything by the word 'alien'… Of course you're an alien, but you're a good alien! There are good aliens, like you, and bad aliens, like General Zod, and… well, I'm not saying that you're not human, but, uh…" _Oh, god, I just insulted Superman. Just kill me now._ "I'll shut up now." 

"Richard," he said, looking amused, "I know what you meant." He wasn't offended by people calling him an alien, unless they meant it as an insult, like Luthor. 

"Oh, good," he said, relieved. It amazed him that they had so much to talk about, about Lois, and Jason, and of course, their future… but instead, he was talking about a movie with Superman. He couldn't understand it. But at least they were talking. He remembered how awkward it was earlier. "By the way, Lois won't be happy if she finds you here." 

"I know," he said, sighing, "She's worried about me, but sometimes, I think she goes too far. You should've seen the frantic drive to the hospital." 

"She drove like a maniac, didn't she?" 

"YES." The way he said it made Richard laugh. He hadn't laughed for a while. He couldn't believe it was Superman who made him laugh. "We were stuck in traffic, and I was getting worse… so she maneuvered from lane to lane at incredible speeds, running red lights, running from the police… It was a nightmare." 

"Geez," he said, his jaw dropping, "That was today?" Superman nodded, and he cringed with sympathy. "I know what you mean." 

"Anyway, I'd better go," he said, looking at the TV and deciding that he didn't want to watch that movie again. Also, he didn't want to disturb Richard. "Enjoy your movie." 

"Thanks," he said, then turned back to the TV. He didn't think Superman would be so nice to him. And what he said about Lois driving like a maniac, just like the maniac woman he heard about on the radio, and… wait a second! The 'maniac woman' was Lois! But didn't they say on the radio that the woman claimed to be driving a pregnant man to the hospital? 

Richard just sat there in silence for a while, staring off into space, as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He looked toward the guest room, his jaw dropping, disbelieving. 

"No way!" 

Hours Later

Lois Lane was exhausted. It was close to midnight and she'd had an extremely long day. All she wanted was to collapse in bed and not get up again until morning, but she knew that was out of the question. At least the article was finally finished. All she had to do was get it proof-read, so she printed out the article, grabbed the pages, a red pen, and then went to the living room to see if Richard was still awake. To her surprise, he was still watching TV, but she could tell he was just as tired as she was. This had been a long day for all of them. "Hey," she said, feeling a lot more confident about talking to him, "I finished my article. You mind proof-reading it?" 

He stifled a yawn, then sat up and held his hand out. "Let's see it." Lois gave him the article and the pen. The title immediately caught his eye, and as he started reading it, he was impressed. "Oh, this is good." 

"Thanks." She stifled a yawn, too. "What are you doing up?"

"I can't sleep. I keep thinking that Luthor's going to come through that door," he said, not taking his eyes off the article. He stopped and stared at a word in the article, then whipped out the red pen and corrected it. "You misspelled 'kryptonite'." 

"What? I did not! I would never…" 

"Yes, you did. You spelled it with a C-R-I." 

"Oh," she cringed, "K-R-Y, right. Well, it's late!" 

"Uh-huh." _You, Lois? A bad speller? Never!_ He finished reading the article and handed it back with the corrections. "Misspellings aside…" 

"Typos," she stressed, taking the article from Richard. 

"…Right. Well, this is really good. I hope this gets the ball rolling." 

"I hope so, too," she yawned, "I'm going to make some coffee. You want some?" 

He sighed. "Lois, go to bed. You're exhausted, and you have work in the morning." She didn't look convinced. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him." 

"But what if something happens?" she asked, looking toward the guest room. 

"I'll let you know. Trust me, I know how to handle someone in Superman's…" He waved his hand in the air, searching for the right word. "…Condition." 

She stared at him, baffled by his choice of words. He didn't mean what she thought he meant, did she? Surely, she was just imagining things. "Well, okay… Thanks, Richard. I'm, uh… going to fix up the article and then… go to bed." He nodded, motioning for her to go. "Well, all right, then." She scratched her head, then shrugged and went back to her office to fix the typos in her article. _That was weird._

He watched her go, then sighed, got up and walked to the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee. He surprised himself by how civil he was being towards Lois and Superman, especially after what he found out about Jason. Maybe he'd had enough time to calm down, or maybe he was so worried about Luthor finding them that everything else just paled in comparison. Whatever it was that allowed him to stay calm through it all, he hoped it would last the night. 

He spent his time drinking coffee, eating burritos, watching reruns on TV, and of course, checking in on Superman every now and then, while Lois and Jason slept soundly in their beds. To his relief, the night was turning out to be pretty uneventful. It was a welcome change for Richard, who'd had an incredibly long day and was hoping that the night would not feel as long, that he could finally relax… but it was not to be. 

It was about three in the morning when it happened. 

Richard heard loud noises coming from the guest room, like something breaking, and seconds later, he smelled something burning. Alarmed, he ran to get the fire extinguisher, then ran into the guest room, opened the door, and was shocked to see the sun lamp on fire and part of the wall behind it. He quickly put out the fire, then took a good look around. The sun lamp was a smoking wreck, and Superman was sitting on the bed, covering his eyes with one hand and holding his side with the other. He looked upset, and Richard couldn't even begin to imagine what would get that kind of reaction out of him. 

"I'm… I'm so sorry…" 

Richard couldn't believe Superman was apologizing to him. Did he have something to do with the fire? "What happened?" asked Richard, feeling utterly lost. The last thing he expected to find at three in the morning was the guest room on fire. 

"…I… I had a nightmare…" 

What did having a nightmare have to do with the fire? And how was Superman responsible for it? Why was he apologizing? Then all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. "Was it… heat vision?" Lois mentioned that power once or twice. Superman just nodded, still not looking at him. "You have a nightmare and you set the room on fire?" 

Superman was shocked by the accusation. Did Richard think he did it on purpose? He would never set fire to anything without a good reason and without being extremely careful. After all, heat vision was his most powerful, and dangerous, ability. But he couldn't blame Richard for being angry; he did start a fire. "No, I'd never… I swear, it was an accident." 

"How was this…" Richard pointed at the ruined sun lamp, "an 'accident'?" 

"Heat vision is tied to my emotions. I can use it at will, but sometimes my eyes will start burning when I'm upset or angry, and that nightmare was…" He cringed at the memory. "But I could always control it before." He groaned miserably. "I'm sorry. I'll pay for the damage. Really…" Somehow. He was broke, but he'd figure something out. 

Richard surveyed the damage. Well, the wall needed some repairs done, but it was nothing that couldn't be fixed. Those repairs would not come cheap, but they owed Superman more than that. "No… Don't worry about it. I'm just glad nobody was hurt." 

Superman finally uncovered his eyes, confident that he wouldn't set fire to anything else. He still felt so ashamed for losing control of the most dangerous power he had. That hadn't happened since… well, since he was a teenager. "Does the sun lamp still work?" 

Richard stared at the white powder covering the charred remains of the sun lamp, and he scratched the back of his head. "Ah… no." 

Superman looked at the poor sun lamp that had kept him alive and healthy all night long, and even given him his heat vision back, only to be destroyed in an instant. He looked at his watch. "It's only three in the morning?" That meant that sunrise was over three hours away, and he had no sun lamp to sustain him until then because he had to go and set it on fire. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! Of all the stupid things I could have done…_

Richard wondered why the time was such a big deal. To him, the big deal was Superman having nightmares and setting things on fire with his eyes. "It wasn't E.T., was it?" 

"What?" he asked, then realized what he was talking about and laughed a little. "No… E.T. didn't give me nightmares this time." He wished. No, the nightmare was far more horrific than being captured by government agents and dissected like a frog. As horrible as that sounded, the nightmare was even worse. "And no, I don't want to talk about it." 

"Okay… How'd you start the fire anyway? Didn't you lose your powers?" 

"I was under the sun lamp for hours. I had enough energy to use my heat vision." If he did get any other powers back, then it was too late. He estimated that, with the use of heat vision, he'd spent most of his solar energy reserves, and there was no way to recharge them until dawn. He tried to leave the bed, but as soon as he made the attempt, he felt agonizing pain in his back, forcing him to sit back down and clutch his side. He hadn't felt that pain for hours, which worried him even more. 

Richard was completely lost. He wasn't like Lois; he didn't know everything there was to know about the Man of Steel. How was he supposed to help him? The only thing he could think of was waking up Lois and letting her help him. "You okay?" 

"No…" he admitted, growing increasingly worried, "Heat vision drains my solar energy faster than my other powers. The sun won't rise for over three hours, and the stab wound keeps draining my energy, and… oh god," he murmured that last part. "What am I going to do?" 

"Okay, don't panic!" yelled Richard, more to himself than Superman, "Maybe we can buy another sun lamp?" 

"At this hour?" he asked, sighing. 

"Okay, scratch that. I'm just going to go wake up Lois, and…"

"No! She'll drive me to the hospital again…" 

"That isn't so bad!" He saw the look on Superman's face. "Okay, it's bad. Still, I don't think you should take any chances in your…" Richard waved his hand in the air again, looking for the right word, "condition." 

Superman stared at him with the most interesting look on his face, wondering if Richard meant what he thought he meant. No… it wasn't possible. Surely, he was just imagining things. "…well, let her sleep. Going to the hospital again won't do me any good. To my knowledge, that…" he pointed at the poor sun lamp, "was the only one they had." 

"Well, that's just great. Now what?" 

"What else can I do? I'll have to wait for sunrise." He wasn't looking forward to it. He remembered how close to death he came in the afternoon and he was afraid to go through something like that again. 

"Well… what are your chances?" asked Richard, worried. 

"I don't know…" He looked out the small window in the guest room. It had finally stopped raining and he couldn't see any rain clouds anymore. At least he wouldn't have to worry about bad weather blocking the sun's rays at dawn, but… would he live long enough to even see the dawn? He wasn't sure. "It's a long way to morning." 

**To Be Concluded**

"What nightmare?" you may be asking yourself. The nightmare is... on the cutting room floor. Well, I didn't actually write it because I knew it would make the story even longer and I had to focus all my efforts on finishing Chapter VIII. I just couldn't resist having Superman set the sun lamp on fire. The alternative for getting rid of the sun lamp was... pretty boring. He basically just forgot and turned off the sun lamp, turned it back on, and then poof, it died. Boring! 

Anyway, I am planning on writing it. It's a long dream sequence I had in mind that sort of foreshadowed the sequel to The Day After, "The Kryptonite Infection" (working title!) I'll see about including the nightmare in Chapter IX, but no promises. I may end up just posting it under a different title. I'll figure something out, but I am going to show it to you guys! 

And yes, you read it right. It does say "To Be Concluded" up there. Chapter IX is the last chapter! And I will finish that one soon! If not, you have my permission to come to my house with pitchforks and torches! 

Oh, I almost forgot... reviews are welcome! 

-DT 


	9. Chapter IX

See, I told you guys I'd post Chapter IX soon. You can put down the pitchforks and torches now! I'm surprised by how fast I wrote this thing, considering it's the longest of all the chapters. Maybe I just wanted to make up for the long wait between Chapter VII and Chapter VIII. Well, here it is at last... the grand finale to "The Day After": Chapter IX. Many thanks to all my readers, to all the people who left me reviews, and everyone else... many thanks for making this story so much fun.

I know this chapter is a little long, but I wanted to make sure I didn't leave anything out, being the last chapter and all.

One thing, though. I know I used the term "sun lamps," plural, in previous chapters, but that was a grammar error. In my mind, there was always only one sun lamp. Just wanted to clear that up. I'll be correcting those mistakes soon.

And now, here's the finale!

EDIT: I've found a few typos, but I've corrected them. If you find any I missed, please PM me!

**Superman Returns  
"The Day After"**

Chapter IX

"It's a long way to morning."

Superman still couldn't believe how quickly everything had gone downhill. Just a few hours ago, everything had been fine. He had been getting along with Lois and Richard, and Jason had even approached him. He had been starting to feel like part of the family. Sure, they had some problems to work out, but what family didn't? Everything was going well... until he accidentally set the sun lamp on fire, possibly destroying his chances of making it to sunrise.

It was three in the morning. He didn't know how he was going to last long enough to see the sunrise. His back was hurting and he knew it was only the beginning. Eventually, the pain would get worse, his skin would get cold, his chest would feel constricted, and... he didn't want to think about the rest of the symptoms which he had experienced in the afternoon, and what they almost led to. He couldn't imagine never seeing another beautiful sunrise, flying above the clouds, soaking in the sun's rays... He couldn't imagine it all coming to an end. _This is not happening. I must still be dreaming. It can't end like this!_

"Superman?"

If Richard had been talking to him, he hadn't been listening. He must've spaced off for a minute there, worried about the next few hours. "Sorry, I was... just thinking." He left the guest bed painfully, holding his aching side. "I... I need to get my mind off this. The more I think about it, the worse it'll be."

"I can imagine..." Richard didn't know what to do to help him. All he could think of was waking up the expert. "You know, Lois would probably think of something."

"No!" he said a little too quickly, then calmed down, "No, just... let her sleep. Please. I don't want to worry her so soon." _And I don't want her driving me to the hospital... God, anything but that! _

"Still, think about your... condition."

Superman stared at him for a moment, then shook his head and made his way out of the guest room. He didn't understand what Richard meant by 'condition' and he didn't think he wanted to know. He was more worried about how to get his mind off his impending doom anyway. He took a deep breath and let it out, then glanced at the TV in the living room. "Is there anything good on?"

"Yeah, if you're into reruns and infomercials..."

"I've been gone for five years. They're not reruns to me."

So, he went to sit down on the couch in front of the TV. He sat on one side of the couch while Richard sat on the other, as far away from each other as possible. They both simultaneously reached for the remote, gave each other weird looks, and Richard moved away and let him have it... because you don't ever deny Superman the remote control.

There was complete silence except for the noise coming from the TV. Richard just felt so awkward sitting next to Superman and he still didn't know how to behave around him. Finally, Richard decided that they couldn't spend the rest of the night like this and that somebody had to break the ice. "So, as long as I have you here... Mind if I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead," said Superman, planting his elbow on the arm rest and his hand on his cheek, continuing to go through the channels. So many channels and nothing to watch...

There was something that Richard had been wondering about since late afternoon, but he didn't know if it was appropriate to ask. But he needed to know and, hopefully, Superman wouldn't go chasing after him in anger once he got his powers back. "Now, I don't want you to think that I mind, because I don't... but, I gotta know..." Superman just looked at him expectantly, and Richard finally decided to just blurt it out. "Why are you wearing my shirt?"

Superman blinked at him, temporarily caught off-guard by the question. He looked down at what he was wearing and remembered whose shirt it was. "Oh, that. Lois threw mine in the washer and she said I could borrow one of yours."

"Well, where's your suit?"

Superman didn't say anything for a moment, weighing his options. Obviously, he knew where the suit was: in Smallville, but he couldn't tell him that without risking him making the connection to Clark Kent. He'd kept that secret for so long that he wasn't ready to share it with Richard yet. And he wasn't about to lie to him and tell him the suit was at the cleaners, even if it was funny. "It's being repaired." And he left it at that. "You know, I have a question for you." Richard looked uncomfortable, but conceded. "What 'condition' are you talking about?"

Richard had hoped he wouldn't ask him that. He still couldn't believe it himself! He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he tried to think of how to tell him. "You know what I mean. Your..." Richard waved his hand in the air again, "condition."

"No, I don't know what you mean by 'condition'. Please, enlighten me."

"Your, um... uh..." Superman gave him this 'just tell me' look, and finally, Richard blurted it out. "Your... pregnancy." He felt so weird for saying that and the moment the word was out, he wished he could take it back.

"..." Nothing could've prepared Superman for that. He stared at Richard, his eyes widening, his mouth opening and closing, stunned speechless. He was sure his expression was almost comical. Finally, he found his voice. "You... you think I'm pregnant?"

"Well, that's what I heard on the radio..."

"You heard it on the radio?!" How many people had listened to that broadcast anyway? How many people thought he was... oh god! The tabloid newspapers were going to have a field day! He could see the headlines now, like... 'the alien is having my baby!'

"They didn't mention names!" he quickly elaborated and Superman looked relieved, "But you told me Lois drove like a maniac, and they were talking about the 'maniac woman' on the radio and what she told the policeman, and I just put two and two together..."

"Oh..." He finally pieced it all together. "The policeman. Lois told him I was in labor, and I guess he couldn't take a joke." He covered his mouth and tried to hide a smile. It wouldn't do to burst out laughing in front of Richard, so he tried to stay fully composed. "Trust me, I am not pregnant." There was a short pause, and then something possessed him to be more specific, "I can't get pregnant!"

"Oh, thank god!" exclaimed Richard, looking utterly relieved, "I was having some weird thoughts!" Superman looked at him quizzically, but he could tell he was trying not to smile. "I saw this TV show once where an alien got pregnant because he held someone's hand. And I was thinking that you held my hand when you pulled us out of the sinking yacht, and that, well... that maybe you were..."

Despite his best efforts to remain fully composed, Superman still snorted in laughter. "You thought I was pregnant with your baby?!" he exclaimed in an unsteady voice in a higher pitch than usual, trying not to burst out laughing. He had a reputation to maintain, but it was so hard not to laugh!

"No! Well, I hoped you weren't!" And that was all it took to have Superman finally crack and start laughing. He couldn't believe Superman was laughing right in front of him. He was always so stoic in the pictures... and he had him in tears! "Man, that would really complicate our situation, wouldn't it?" Superman nodded, laughing even harder, and before long, they were both laughing and it took a while for either of them to regain their composure.

Superman wiped his eyes, finally calming down, although he was still snickering. He hadn't laughed so hard in ages. He couldn't believe it was Richard that made him laugh like that. "Thank you. I needed that."

"I hope we didn't wake up Lois," said Richard, wiping his eyes, too.

"I hope so, too." He couldn't stop grinning as he grabbed the remote again and resumed his channel-surfing. "Well, let's see if there's anything good on at this hour."

They both watched the channels go by for a while and didn't say another word to each other. Things were still awkward between them, but they were getting better. Finally, Richard broke the silence again. "I think Junior's on." Superman almost dropped the remote as he started laughing all over again. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist!"

Later

Lois was awake in bed, curled up under the covers and clutching her pillow, not wanting to get out of bed yet. She'd been awake for like five minutes and no matter how hard she tried to go back to sleep, her mind just wouldn't grant her a moment's peace. She glanced at the clock next to her bed and saw what time it was. "Oh, great..."

Realizing that it was hopeless to try to get back to sleep, she got out of bed, checked herself in front of a mirror to make sure she was decent, and then made her way downstairs to check on Superman. She was pretty confident that he'd make it to sunrise. He'd felt pretty warm a few hours ago, and if he stayed under the sun lamp, then she knew he was going to be all right. Tomorrow was going to be a good day.

She went to the guest room, rubbing her sleepy eyes, and saw that the door was open. She didn't think much of it as she went inside, until she saw that the room was in complete darkness. "I'd better find you sleeping in that bed..." she muttered to herself. She switched on the light and she gasped in horror at what she saw. Not only wasn't Superman there, but the sun lamp was a wreck and the whole place smelled of smoke.

"What happened here?!"

Earlier

Superman was watching TV and doing a pretty good job of not thinking about his health problem... until he heard the door to Lois' room open. "Lois is up," he said, trying to hide the dread in his voice, and suddenly, he couldn't stop thinking about the stab wound, the kryptonite, the drive to the hospital, waiting for sunrise...

"It won't be long now," said Richard, still looking at the TV set. They both listened to her footsteps with growing dread until they stopped abruptly. It could only mean one thing: she saw the state the guest room was in, and they braced themselves for the coming storm.

"What happened here?!"

Lois went running to the living room and saw them both watching TV. They were watching some gothic show with statues in it and the two of them seemed to be getting along. Any other night, she would've been happy about that, but not tonight. She stood in front of them, planting her hands on her hips, and they got a good look at what she was wearing. She was wearing a simple camisole and short pajama bottoms and it took all of Superman's willpower to look away and not stare at her. Richard, on the other hand, was used to seeing her like that, but it was still a stunning sight.

"What happened to the sun lamp?!"

"I, um... set it on fire," he confessed, still not looking at her.

"You did WHAT?!" she yelled, looking like she wanted to grab him by the shirt and shake him like a ragdoll. "That was the only one we had! Where are we going to find another sun lamp at this hour?!" They knew better than to try to answer her rhetorical question. "Why did you set it on fire?" She paused for a moment. "How did you set it on fire?!"

He knew she'd be upset, but he never imagined this. She was practically yelling at him, boiling with fury and yet looking so worried about him. Only Lois could want to hurt him and care for him at the same time. He wondered if there was more to it than caring for a friend, but he didn't dare to dwell on that. "I had a nightmare and I lost control of my heat vision..."

"Oh, so you aimed for the sun lamp?!" He shrugged helplessly, and she threw her hands up in the air and looked like she wanted to break something. "Of all the stupid...!" She was so angry that she didn't know what to be angry at. She took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose, inhaling deeply, then went back upstairs. "I'll get my purse."

His eyes widened in horror and he looked at Richard, who just shrugged helplessly, then he started going after her but stopped when he felt pain shoot up his back. "Argh!" He grabbed on to the couch before he lost his balance, holding his side and taking deep breaths.

She was at his side in an instant, looking over him worriedly. She touched his face and realized in horror that his temperature had dropped. "We have to go back!"

"Lois... you know the doctors can't help me."

"Of course they can!" She was grasping at straws and she knew it, but she didn't know what else to do. "They could have another sun lamp..."

"Why would they have another one?"

She couldn't deny that he had a good point there. "Do we know anyone with a tanning bed?" Oh yeah, she was seriously grasping at straws now. "Richard, why didn't we install a tanning bed?" He just shrugged and didn't say anything, wisely choosing to stay out of it.

"Lois..." Superman was using his calming voice, and she fell silent and listened to him. "Please, all I need right now is to stay calm."

"Sunrise is hours away!" His breath caught in his throat and she realized that that wasn't the right thing to say. "I'm sorry. I'm just... here, just sit down." She led him back to the couch and he sat down painfully, holding his side. He looked... afraid, and it broke her heart. She touched his cheek again and looked at him tenderly. "What did you dream about?"

He looked into her eyes for a long moment, trying to decide whether or not to pour his heart out in front of her. Talking about the nightmare would probably help, but... he just couldn't do it, especially when Richard was there. He finally sighed and tore his gaze away from her. "I don't want to talk about it."

She was surprised by that. He had been so open with her about his feelings during the course of the day that she had almost forgotten that he was usually a very private man. Maybe he was back to being Superman instead of Clark Kent, and Superman almost never talked about his feelings, especially with other people around. She realized how weird that sounded as soon as the thought crossed her mind. _Lois, it's the same person!!_

"Fine," she said, trying not to sound hurt, "You can tell me later, I guess. But I'd like to know what upset you so much that you lost control of your heat vision." For a fraction of a second, he looked ashamed for losing control like that, but he quickly covered it up. She tried cheering him up and gave him a smile. "And see? I told you you'd get your powers back."

He gave her a weak smile, then frowned. "I started a fire."

"Yes, you did," she said, making no attempt to deny the truth or even to embellish it, "But you put it out, right?"

"No," Superman glanced at Richard, who had been watching the entire scene unfold without speaking a word, "He did. I couldn't blow it out."

"Oh," she said, momentarily stunned, "Well, you'd lost your powers. I'm not surprised you had trouble controlling them when you finally got them back."

"I suppose," he said, still not looking at her, "But I lost them again."

She sighed. It was just like him to beat himself up over a mistake. He was his own harshest critic and she both loved him and hated him for it. "You'll get them back. Right now, we just need to find a way to replenish your energy." She considered her options for a moment. "I'm going to call the neighbors and see if they have tanning beds."

"Lois, it's..." He checked his watch and was dismayed when he realized what time it was. It wasn't even four in the morning yet. "It's too late to be calling the neighbors."

"What, because it's rude? I don't care right now." She went to get her address book and looked for the neighbors' numbers. Then she sat next to the phone, picked up the receiver, and started punching in numbers. "I'm not just going to stand by and do nothing!"

Richard looked between the two of them. He could already tell it was going to be a long night. "Well! I'm going to make some coffee. Anybody else want some?" Lois raised her hand, and Superman didn't say anything, but he'd make enough for everybody anyway, just in case. "I'll be right back."

Superman saw him head to the kitchen, then looked at Lois, who looked like she was getting ready to yell at the poor soul at the other end of the line. This was all because of him and he felt badly for it. He felt like he was in the way and that he didn't deserve any of this. He gave Lois amnesia, he left his family for five years...

The amnesia. He wasn't sure how she was going to react when she found out. Well, it wasn't like he erased all those memories. He just made her forget that he was Clark Kent and the events leading up to that revelation, like her jumping out a window and then, later, shooting him with a blank. So, she believed she experienced all those things with two different people. She didn't forget how Jason was conceived, for one. _Oh, god, if I had made her forget that... That would've been deplorable. _

He realized what he was doing. He was embellishing the truth to not make it seem as horrible. The truth was, he gave her amnesia and it was a rotten thing to do, and no amount of excuses could make that right. There was no question that he had to tell her the truth, but he knew Lois would hate him for it...

"Damn it!" Lois slammed the phone down, startling him out of his thoughts. "He said he didn't have a tanning bed and that even if he had one he wouldn't let me use it, then he told me to go to hell and never call him again!"

_In that order? _ "You're the one who called him at this hour."

"Your life is in danger!" she yelled at him, effectively silencing him. She sighed and tried to calm down. The last thing she wanted to do was upset him. "How are you feeling?"

"Not well," he said after some hesitation.

"Damn it," she said under her breath, then she went back to the couch to check on him. "Take off your shirt." He stared at her in shock. "I want to see your back." He still didn't move and, to her surprise, he seemed embarrassed. He acted like she'd just asked him to take off his pants. "Oh, come on... It's nothing I haven't seen before. Now off with the shirt." After a moment's hesitation, he finally took off the shirt and let Lois examine his back.

Any other night, she would have marveled at how sculpted his back was, but tonight, her attention was on that hideous stab wound. She gently touched the greenish area on his back that seemed to be spreading outward from the site of the stab wound, making him hiss in pain and instinctively pull away. "Oh, god, it's... it's spreading."

He turned to look at her, and he looked just as alarmed as she did. He didn't even bother to put the shirt back on. "That can't be. That's... that's not possible."

"Well, it's happening!"

"It's not possible!" He took a moment to calm down, realizing that he was taking his frustration out on Lois, then tried to explain the situation. "My body absorbs radiation and amplifies it when I use my powers. Kryptonite is just another form of radiation and is subject to the same process, with the exception that it negates my powers. It can't possibly spread, not without direct exposure to it, and that hasn't happened since Friday." He hated feeling this helpless, but most of all, he hated not knowing what was happening to him. "It should've healed by now. Sunlight always heals me..."

She wished he could somehow make him feel better, but all she could do was be there for him through the night. "You'll get better at sunrise. You'll see. You can beat this."

He looked up to make sure that Richard was still in the kitchen and that he wasn't listening. "I'm... I'm so afraid, Lois," he whispered, biting his lower lip.

She couldn't hold back any longer and pulled him into a hug, which he quickly returned. The way he held her so tight made her eyes mist up with tears and she could barely hold them back. "It's okay. I'm here." She rubbed his back, hoping to make him feel better. She realized that his temperature had dropped again, but decided not to bring it up. "You know, I finished the article. 'Justice for Superman', I called it."

"Perry may want a catchier title," he said with a smile on his face. He always felt better when they were in each other's arms. He was so grateful that she was staying with him until sunrise as he doubted that he could do this alone.

"I know, I know..." she said, smiling, happy that she had succeeded in making him feel better, "But it was all I could think of. You want to read it?"

"I'll read it when it goes to print. It gives me something to look forward to." He heard Richard approaching and he pulled away from Lois and quickly put his shirt back on.

"Uh..." Richard had seen Lois embracing Superman... a shirtless Superman... and didn't know what to think. Superman wouldn't look at him and Lois just calmly looked at Richard. But he could see that Lois was only trying to make him feel better. He wondered if there was something else there, especially from the way Superman was acting, but now was not the time to dwell on that. "I got the coffee," he said, holding up the tray with three cups of coffee on it, then placed it on the center table and looked at Superman. "You want some?"

"That's very nice of you, but..." he started saying, but Lois cut him off.

"Come on, you haven't eaten today, and don't think I didn't notice," she told him, sternly, "At least have some coffee. It'll do you good." He didn't argue, so she put sugar in his coffee and handed it to him. "Careful, it's hot."

"Thank you." He held the cup by the handle and looked at the rising steam. It was a good thing that Lois reminded him because he had completely forgotten that you could burn your tongue by drinking hot coffee. He couldn't believe that he had to be reminded of that.

Lois grabbed her cup of coffee and went to sit by the phone again, setting the cup down next to it. She picked up the phone book and looked for the number to Metropolis General Hospital. "I'm going to try calling the hospital. It's not over yet."

"So..." Richard sat down on the couch, as far away from Superman as possible again, holding a cup of coffee in his hand. "You realize that you're going to have to get in the car with her again if she does find someone who owns a sun lamp, right?"

"I know..." He wanted her to find a sun lamp but he didn't want her driving him. He didn't know what to think. "I'm trying not to think about it."

"Well, in the meantime... What do you want to watch?"

"Aren't you tired?" Superman glanced at his watch. It was four in the morning. He had over two hours to go before sunrise, but he was counting on the twilight to give him enough strength to survive until then. Lois was right; it wasn't over yet.

"I'm wired on caffeine. I won't fall asleep in a million years." It was a lame excuse and he doubted that Superman bought it, but it was better than the truth. "Anyway, pick a show."

He noticed that the show they were watching had ended. And he was enjoying it, too. So, he reached for the remote and resumed his channel-surfing. "Let's see..."

"Sure, I'll hold." said Lois, who was on the phone with the hospital. She inspected her nails as he waited for the secretary to come back with an answer. She wondered what happened to the secretary from that afternoon, the one she threatened with an exposé for keeping Superman waiting. She looked over at him and saw him watching TV with Richard. She'd thought that they would never get along and that it would affect the entire family, especially Jason, but she was glad to know that she'd been wrong. If only everything wasn't so complicated...

She realized that the secretary was back and was trying to get her attention by saying 'hello' repeatedly. "Yeah! I'm still here. Oh... that was the only one you had. I see." She sighed and rubbed her tired eyes as she listened to the secretary. "Okay, I'll ask him." She covered the mouthpiece and addressed Superman. "They're asking if you want to go back. Maybe they can do something."

"Lois, we've been through this..."

"Fine, I'm a broken record. Do you want me to take you back or not?"

"No..." He sighed, looking lost in thought. He thought he just didn't want Lois driving him again, but there was something else, something he was only just realizing and admitting to himself. "If I'm going to..." He didn't want to say it. Saying it would make it real, and he wasn't ready. "I don't want to be in a hospital when it happens."

"Oh..." She felt tears in her eyes and she stubbornly fought them back. "I-I see... yeah..." She sniffled and spoke into the phone again. "He'd rather stay here. Yeah, I know... Thanks anyway." She paused to listen to the secretary. "Well, to find out what happens to him, just pick up the afternoon edition of the Daily Planet. Bye." She hung up and started going through her address book again. "Time to call the neighbors."

"I can't believe she just tried to sell a newspaper," muttered Superman.

"Believe it," muttered Richard, "Perry would be so proud."

Later

Lois had spent a good while calling everyone in her address book who probably owned either a tanning bed or a sun lamp. She got a lot of people angry with her in the process, but she didn't care because she was trying to save Superman's life. But no matter how good her intentions were, she'd still had no luck. People either hung up on her, told her they didn't have a tanning bed, told her to get a life, or didn't answer at all. One person even told her to stop looking to get a tan at four in the morning. As infuriating as some of the answers were, what frustrated her the most was that not one person answered 'yes'.

"Well, that was spectacularly unsuccessful. Not only does everyone I know probably think I've gone crazy, but we still have no sun lamp!" She threw the address book aside and sipped the last of her coffee, then slammed her cup down in defeat. "I can't believe it. Doesn't anybody own a sun lamp?!" Again, no one answered her rhetorical question. She took a moment to compose herself, then went to check on Superman. "How are you holding up?"

"I don't know," he said in a shaky voice. He was starting to feel cold and he didn't know how to make it stop. _Oh, god, it's starting..._

She touched his forehead and jerked her hand back. "You're freezing!"

"Lois, really, it's not that bad yet..." That didn't stop her from rushing off to get a blanket, coming back and wrapping it around him. He found it interesting that she picked a red blanket. He didn't know if she did that on purpose, but he was glad for it. He felt like he was wrapped up in his cape and that made him feel better. He held it tightly around himself, looking at her gratefully. "Thank you."

"I just hate seeing you like this," she confessed, placing her hands on his shoulders, "I wish I could help you. Do you want more coffee?"

"Lois..." He smiled at her. "You _are_ helping me."

She smiled at him, then palmed his forehead again. He was cold and she was worried sick. "Do you know why is this happening to you?"

"I wish I knew. Honestly, I don't know all that much about kryptonite."

"Really? I'd have thought you knew all about it," said Richard, who was drinking yet another cup of coffee, trying to stay awake.

"I know it can kill me... but besides that?" He shook his head. "My father's crystals never said anything about kryptonite, and it's not like I'll ever be to get close enough to the substance to study it." No kidding. That would be suicidal.

"Your father's crystals?" asked Richard.

"Yes, they store all Kryptonian knowledge, sort of like..." He thought of a term that Richard would understand, "like hard disks." Richard nodded understandingly. "But they don't have any information about kryptonite." And even if they did, that wouldn't do him any good. The crystals were beyond his reach surrounded by kryptonite. _That's irony for you. _

"Why not?" asked Richard.

Superman looked at Lois, who was trying not to smile. It was so obvious that she was the expert on all things Kryptonian in the family. "Well, kryptonite was formed when our red sun went supernova and destroyed the Planet Krypton." He wished the words hadn't come out sounding so impersonal, but the truth was, he was only a baby when it happened.

"Oh, I'm... I'm so sorry." _His planet is destroyed and that's all you can say? _

"Don't be. It happened a long time ago."

"But there's one thing I don't understand. If you knew your planet was destroyed..." Lois gave Richard a 'don't go there' look and tried motioning for him to drop the subject, but he didn't notice. "Why'd you go there?" Lois slapped her forehead, and he stared at her. "What?"

Well, that was an excellent question. _Why did you go there, Kal-El? _ "My father created the crystals before Krypton was destroyed, and I wasn't there when it happened for obvious reasons. So, I... I hoped that maybe he had been wrong."

The two men just sat there in awkward silence for a while. After all, Superman leaving for five years was still a sore topic of conversation for all of them. Finally, Lois pitched in and broke the silence. "Okay! Changing the subject... Who else would know about the kryptonite?"

"As far as I know, there's only one expert on kryptonite and that's Luthor. He's the one who discovered it, and of course, he's the one who holds all its secrets."

"He probably knew it would do this to you," said Lois in anger.

"Probably." He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. The last thing he wanted to think about was Luthor, and yet all this talk about kryptonite, the lost crystals, and Luthor himself, was making him do just that. "Let's not talk about Luthor anymore, please."

Well, she wanted to talk about it. She needed to vent her anger. "He just makes me so angry. You're like this because of him! And where is he now? Probably gloating about putting you through hell and getting away with it!"

Oh, that was the last thing he wanted to hear. Just the thought that Luthor was hiding somewhere with his three henchmen, laughing about beating him up and then stabbing him in the back, was just... He clenched his fists in anger, then shook his head to clear it and dropped his fists, not wanting to go there. He had more important things to worry about anyway. "Please, stop. Thinking about it makes me feel worse."

She couldn't begin to imagine what he was going through. As much as the thought of Luthor gloating about all this angered her, she couldn't imagine how Superman felt about it. He was the one who got stabbed, not her. "All right... subject closed." Well, now she felt guilty for venting when it was obvious that she was making him uncomfortable. She struggled to think of something to say, then added lamely, "Want another cup of coffee?"

"Sure, why not?" She quickly went to get more coffee, and Superman picked up the remote and handed it to Richard. "It's your turn to pick a channel."

"Thanks." He took the remote and tried to think of something to watch. "You want to watch a horror movie?" Superman just gave him a look. "Okay, no horror movies..."

Later

Superman never imagined that he'd spend the day after he awoke from a coma fighting for his life. He was cold, and it was a cold that came from within, so the blanket didn't help much. The wound was starting to burn and it hurt constantly instead of just when he moved. He knew it wouldn't be long before it got as bad as it did in the afternoon, and he still had a while to go before the twilight and even longer before the sunrise.

It was five in the morning. It had only been two hours, but he felt like he'd been waiting for months. He had tried watching TV, but it just wasn't enough to help him take his mind off the freezing cold and the burning heat in his body. He was hurting and the pain kept intensifying, but he was doing a good job of hiding it from the others. He didn't want to worry them yet, especially Lois. She'd told him that he'd make it to sunrise, but as much as he wanted to believe that, he knew he was fading fast.

At least he was surrounded by friends and family, which was better than dying in a hospital room hooked up to machines and surrounded by nurses and doctors he didn't even know the names of. Yes, it was much better this way. If this was the end, then he was glad he wasn't alone. However, there was someone missing. "Lois, can I borrow your phone?"

"Sure." She picked up the cordless phone and handed it to Superman, who took it with a trembling hand. "Superman, you're... Are you okay?" she asked, horrified.

He didn't answer. "I have to call my mother." He didn't care if Richard was listening. He just didn't care about his secret identity at the moment. Heck, at the moment, he wasn't sure what the point of it was. "It's a long distance call. Do you mind?" She watched him sadly for a moment and then told him to go ahead. She dragged a sleepy Richard out of the living room and into the kitchen to give Superman his privacy.

He waited until they had occupied themselves in the kitchen before dialing his mother's number. He hoped that she answered the phone. He wasn't sure if he'd survive and he couldn't die without saying good-bye to his mother, even if it meant worrying her sick. It was better than not knowing what happened to him. Finally, it stopped ringing and a sleepy woman answered. "Mom? It's..." He was about to say 'Clark', but remembered where he was, "It's me."

"Clark... Do you have any idea what time it is?"

He considered telling her that he got his time zones mixed up again, as he often did during his travels around the world, instead of telling his mother what was really happening to him, but he just couldn't do it. He owed her the truth, and he knew she'd see through his lie in an instant. "I'm sorry for waking you up, but this couldn't wait."

"You sound sick. Clark, are you sick?"

The word 'sick' couldn't even begin to describe what he was going through. Again, he considered not telling her, if only to spare her grief, but his heart told him otherwise. "I... I can't fly to the sun," he said, his voice breaking, but he cleared his throat and tried to regain his voice, "I'm getting weaker and I don't know if I'll make it to sunrise..."

"Clark, slow down! What do you mean you can't fly?"

"Something is draining my energy, and I can't replenish it without the sun. And sunrise is an hour away and I... I don't know how long I have left to... to..."

"Oh, no... Clark..."

She was crying and he felt horrible about it. She was all alone and had no one to keep her company during this difficult time. He wished more than anything that he could fly over there and hold her. "I'm so sorry, mom. I didn't want to put you through this, but I couldn't bear the thought of not being able to say good-bye..."

"Don't say that," she told him sternly, yet he could still hear how scared she was, "You have to believe that you'll make it to sunrise. Have faith."

"You're right." She was always right. "I won't lose faith."

"And you're coming to pick up your suit first thing in the morning, okay?"

"Okay, mom. I will." Now his whole body was shaking. That definitely wasn't good. He held the blanket closer to his body, trying to stay calm. "Mom, I... I have to go. Just remember that I love you and... I'll hopefully see you soon."

"I love you, too, Clark. Be strong. Come back to me, please."

"Good-bye," he said tearfully, then hung up and just held on to the phone with a trembling hand for a while before he finally let it fall on the couch. That was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do and he wondered if he did the right thing. But he just couldn't leave this world without saying good-bye, no matter how painful it was to say it.

Oh god, he wanted to scream. The pain was becoming unbearable and his rising panic wasn't helping matters. He took deep breaths to calm down. He wasn't wheezing yet. That was a good sign. Positive, think positive. There was still a chance, and he had to hold on to that hope and not let go. He was almost there. If he could last until sunrise, he'd be healed. He just had to hold on a little longer.

"Lois!" he called out.

She came running back, leaving Richard behind. "What's wrong?"

"Just... just stay with me. Please?" He realized how desperate he sounded, but he couldn't help himself. "I can't do this alone."

"You know I'll stay with you." She sat next to him and put a comforting arm around him. "You talked to your mother, huh?"

He nodded, and his eyes welled up with tears when he remembered how devastated she was by the news. "I told her what was happening to me. She said I needed to be strong... and the suit..." He laughed a little, wiping the tears from his face. "She told me to pick up the suit first thing in the morning."

"Good, the world needs Superman," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

He looked down at her and couldn't help but smile. He didn't know how she did it, but she always made him feel better. "Any rain clouds in sight?"

"No, I just checked. The skies are clear. No worries on that front."

"That's good... That's very good."

She rubbed his shoulder, trying to keep him calm. "You're going to make it to sunrise, okay? I don't want you thinking otherwise."

He nodded shakily. "This... this means a lot to me, Lois. Thank you."

She gave him a reassuring smile. "We're going to beat this, and the man who did this to you is going to pay. He won't be gloating anymore. I promise you that."

"I just... can't understand why he would do this to me."

"Because he blames you for his mistakes. That's all there is to it." She held him tighter. "Let's not talk about that. Come on, let's wait for sunrise out on the porch. What do you say?"

"That would be wonderful," he said, smiling.

"Just let me put a robe on. I'll be right back." She quickly left the couch and ran upstairs, leaving Superman alone to thank the stars that she was finally covering herself up.

She came back with a blue robe on and helped him stand up. Her heart broke when he cried out in pain and clutched his aching side. He almost lost his balance and fell, but she held him up with extreme difficulty until he was steady on his feet. She called out to Richard for help, but she didn't get an answer. Then she noticed that the poor guy had fallen asleep on the kitchen table. _What is it with the men in my life falling asleep in my kitchen? _ "Come on," she said, putting an arm around him and helping him walk, "We've done this before, remember?"

"When you... took me to the... maternity ward?"

She saw him smiling even though she knew he had to be wracked with pain, and she couldn't help but smile back. "You'd think we'd be sick of that joke by now..."

"It never gets old," he said, smiling.

"I know, I'll never live it down." And so, she helped a shivering Superman out of the house. She opened the front door and led him to the porch, where she helped him take a seat. Through it all, Superman didn't let go of her for an instant. "There, we're here."

"Thank you," he said in an unsteady voice, letting go of her and gripping the red blanket tighter around himself. He looked at her gratefully.

"It's the least I can do." She took a seat next to him. "Well... it certainly has been interesting with the four of us under one roof, huh?"

"Yes, it has... Thank you for putting up with me."

"Well, you deserve it. You saved our lives."

"It's what I do," he said softly. He looked at the night sky, marveling at the sight of all those beautiful stars, wondering why he left Lois behind just to travel half a universe among those stars. Why did he journey so far when everything he could have ever wanted was on Earth? At least he still had a chance to be a father to Jason, but Lois... there she was, so near and yet so far.

"How are you feeling?" She realized how stupid the question was as soon as it was out and she kicked herself mentally. But she didn't know what else to say and it frustrated her to no end. She could see him doubled over in pain, shaking, holding his side, and taking deep breaths as if he feared each breath would be his last and there was nothing she could do about it.

He looked at her incredulously for a moment. How did she think he felt? He was at death's door, and he felt like... like... "Like I've been hit by a train." She looked at him oddly, and he smiled weakly. "Well, it seemed like the right thing to say."

"Well, I don't know what to say," she said under her breath.

"Just... just talk to me. Tell me about Jason."

"Well... he's a great kid," she said, smiling, "He's an A student, except in gym, but you told me that runs in the family. Yeah..." She rubbed her arm, thinking about what she'd told Richard earlier on that same spot, but decided not to dwell on that yet. "Well, he also loves playing the piano." She sighed, remembering. "Loved... playing the piano."

He hadn't considered the possibility of Jason losing his love for the piano. "I'm sorry." He promised that if he lived to see the sunrise, he'd help Jason rediscover his love for the piano. It wasn't fair that he'd stop playing the piano over something that clearly wasn't his fault.

"Yeah. Well, he used to be allergic to everything, but ever since what happened with the piano... It's like he's cured. He doesn't even need his inhaler anymore."

He was truly happy to hear that, but he couldn't help but wonder what caused the change. "Still, it's a shame about him not playing the piano anymore." He took a deep breath and almost panicked when he realized his chest was starting to feel constricted. He also couldn't stop shaking, and he hugged his chest and tried not to think about his declining health. _I'm running out of time. I... I have to tell her... _

Lois noticed that, but didn't say anything about it. "Well, uh... let's see..." She struggled to think of something to say in order to keep his mind occupied. "How about you? Do you play the piano?" she asked, then kicked herself for it. _Was that the best you could do? _

If he let her carry on like this, they would spend the rest of the morning talking about random things, but he was running out of time and he couldn't afford to waste his breath, even if he enjoyed talking to her about anything. "Lois, we... we have to talk."

"Oh, no," she said under her breath. That was never good. She remembered when Richard said the same words to her that night. "Listen, whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait until tomorrow. Right now, you need to focus on making it to sunrise..."

"Lois," he gasped, "I'm... I'm running out of time."

"Don't say that!" she yelled, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him a little, trying to bring him back to his senses. He was _not_ going to die, not if she could help it, and she wasn't going to let him talk like he was. "You're going to see the sunrise!"

He looked into her eyes sadly, touched by her display of emotion. He gently grabbed her wrists with trembling hands and moved her hands off his shoulders, then just held them tenderly. "Please, just... just listen to me. I know..." He sighed, stopping to think of the words. "I know that... that I haven't been a good man to you."

"What are you saying? Of course you've been a good man to me... to all of us. You saved our lives. You're just afraid..." Yes, he was afraid and not making sense. It was his fear talking, nothing more.

"I... I left you for five years. I left you alone and pregnant..." He gasped for breath, and prayed that he would last long enough to tell her this. "And... I didn't even say good-bye."

She held his trembling hands. "I already forgave you for that. Please, just stop talking and relax. This isn't doing you any good..."

He shook his head stubbornly. He had to get this out while he still could. "Even though I left you, I... I still tried to win you back a few days back." He struggled to remember when it happened, but he wasn't sure because of the time he spent in a coma. "I... I took you flying, just like old times, trying to win you back... even after... after what I heard..."

She stared at him, wondering. "Heard what?"

"That... that you didn't love me," he said, gasping for breath. It wouldn't be long before he started wheezing and he was terrified of that, but he was more terrified of what Lois would say when he was through with his confession. "I... I was eavesdropping outside your window when... when you told Richard that... that..."

She abruptly let go of his hands, staring at him with a mixture of hurt and anger in her eyes. "What are you, a stalker?!"

He cringed. If she was angry about that, then he knew she was going to be furious when she found out about the amnesia. He was actually afraid to tell her, even more so than before. "No, I... It was just that one time, and you have every right to call me that. I'm... I'm not proud of what I did."

She couldn't believe it. She'd actually defended him to Richard when he said that Superman could eavesdrop on their private conversation. She'd told him that Superman would never misuse his abilities... and he had done just that. "How could you?!"

"There's no excuse for what I did..."

"You're damn right there's no excuse for what you did!" She didn't know what to be angry at. The fact that he was eavesdropping, or the fact that he heard her say she never loved him, and she didn't know why. If it was true, why was she so upset by him knowing that? "I can't believe you heard me say that..."

"Lois..." He made a bold move and took her hands again, knowing full-well that she could reject him, but to his relief, she didn't resist him. "If... if I live to see another day, I... I will fulfill my responsibilities to Jason. But... I will not... try to win you back anymore." He kissed her hands gently, then looked into her eyes. "You deserve all the happiness in... in the world." He gasped. "I'm glad... you've found happiness with Richard. He's a good man."

She could only stare at him as she processed what he'd just told her. Superman was letting her go, just like Richard. They were both giving her the choice to choose which man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. The problem was, she didn't know what she wanted.

"I just hope... that we can still be friends," he told her.

Friends? Was that all they were? She just didn't know. "Why would you doubt that after everything that's happened today? I mean, unless you have any more secrets I should know about, I don't see why we can't..." She trailed off when she saw the look on his face. He looked like she'd just told him something terrible. "Are there?" He just stared at her wordlessly, as if trying to find the words. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing compared to you spying on me, so it's going to have to wait. You're making yourself worse talking about this!"

He shook his head. "No... it... it can't... wait," he wheezed, and he panicked and held a hand to his neck. It wasn't fair that he was ready to tell her and his lungs weren't letting him.

"Shut up!" she yelled at him. She was actually afraid for his life and there was nothing she could do for him. She'd never felt so helpless. "God, look at you! I don't want you talking anymore!" She held his face in her hands and looked at him sternly and yet full of concern for him. "You are going to stop talking and you are going to focus on your breathing, okay?" He looked to be weighing his options as he looked into her eyes, then nodded shakily. She looked up in the sky and saw that it was finally beginning to brighten. "It'll be sunrise soon. Here..."

She helped him lie down across the seat, placing his head on her lap and covering him with the blanket. He bent his knees and hugged his chest, shivering furiously, and trying to get his breathing under control. He looked up at her gratefully, but she could tell he still wanted to tell her whatever it was he thought was so important. "No talking," she told him. She couldn't help herself and stroked his hair gently. "Just hold on..."

He swore that if he lived through this, he would tell her everything. He didn't want to die; Jason needed him, but at least he had Richard, who was a great father. Maybe Lois and Richard would teach him about his powers through trial and error, just like his parents did. Still, he wished he could be there to see his son grow up to be a great man... but his legacy would live on through Jason and that was all he wanted. _The son becomes the father... and the father becomes the son. _

If this was the end, then he was ready for it. He was with Lois, even if he hadn't been able to tell her about the amnesia, but at least he was with her. He'd said good-bye to his mother, and he was with friends and family like he wanted instead of in a hospital surrounded by white walls. The man who did this to him would soon be brought to justice and he would never put Jason in danger. He wondered if it was always like this... when death is finally accepted, and you find your peace and are ready to move on to the next world.

And so, he closed his eyes and waited for the light to shine down on him... be it from the sun or from the light at the end of the tunnel, the one he'd heard so many stories about. He wasn't afraid anymore. He wasn't alone. He was at peace, and he found himself smiling even through his pain, and even as he waited for either life or death.

Lois just held him and touched his hair, trying to keep him conscious even as he struggled for each breath, even as he slowly slipped away. They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity, in complete silence, waiting for the sunrise that would restore Superman's health, if it wasn't already too late.

The sky had turned into a beautiful shade of red and purple, and Lois felt relief wash over her. The sun would be rising soon and all this would be nothing but a bad dream. Everything was going to be all right. "We're almost there," she whispered to him, and she looked down at his face and gasped in horror. He was incredibly pale, but worst of all... he wasn't moving. She couldn't even see his chest rising and falling with his erratic breathing. "Su... Cl... Ka..." she stammered, still not knowing what to call him. She screamed in frustration and shook him forcefully, but he still didn't answer. "Stay with me!"

Nothing. She quickly left the seat and listened to his chest, trying to keep it together and not start crying. He was still breathing, but it was very faint. "Please, be all right." She shook him again, not knowing what else to do. "You can't leave us!" The well of tears finally broke and she cried at the unfairness of it all. He couldn't die, not when they were so close. Not after they'd been through so much. She touched his hair again, then his cheek, crying even more at the coldness of his skin, and she leaned down and kissed him on the lips without thinking twice about it. His lips were so cold, but she didn't care. "You can't leave me..."

"Lois?"

She gasped, thinking that had come from Superman, but he hadn't moved. She looked up and saw Richard at the door, rubbing his eyes. "Richard..."

"I heard you screaming. Is he... Oh, god..." Richard ran to Superman's side and looked him over, then reached down to pick him up, taking the red blanket with him.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm going to take him flying like I promised," he said, dragging Superman away.

She started going with them, but stopped herself when she realized that someone had to stay with Jason. "Please, help him," she said, looking at him pleadingly.

"I'll do my best," he said, then took Superman around to the back of the house and to the seaplane. "Come on, we didn't come this far just for you to die on us." He got him aboard the plane with extreme difficulty, sat him down and got him buckled in, then hurried to get the plane started. The engine started, and then the blades spun, and before long, the plane was speeding across the water and lifting off into the air.

Richard flew as high as the plane would allow, praying that that would be enough to save Superman. He flew east, toward the rising sun. "Come on, Lex Luthor knows Jason's your son. You can't leave him." He sighed, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "And... Jason needs both his fathers." He looked at the rising sun and hoped that it wasn't too late.

Light. That was the first thing he became aware of in the darkness. There was light shining down on his face, and he wondered if it was the light at the end of the tunnel. Had he died, wandered the tunnel, and seen the light? He looked around, feeling his breathing growing stronger and stronger. No... he wasn't in a tunnel. He was in... the seaplane? He glanced out the window and saw bright skies and... the sun. Oh, the sun. The most glorious sun... He almost cried happily. After waiting so long to feel its warmth, there it was. It was so beautiful.

He slowly sat up straight, taking deep breaths. He could feel his body temperature evening out and his back stop hurting. He wasn't cold anymore; on the contrary, he was getting warmer by the second. He tried to leave the seat but something held him back. He looked down and realized it was a seatbelt, so he quickly unbuckled it and stood up, feeling dizzy for a second, but it quickly went away and he walked to the door and opened it.

"Whoa!" Richard held on to the steering wheel, then looked over his shoulder to see Superman standing at the door, looking outside, wrapped in the red blanket. "You're alive!" He couldn't stop smiling, until Superman took one step out the door. "Wait, what are you doing?!" To his horror, Superman stepped out of the plane and disappeared from sight. The only thing left behind was the red blanket. "Wait!!"

Superman was falling, his arms spread wide open, basking in the sun's rays, smiling from ear to ear. He just felt so healthy, so... so alive. He could feel his aura radiating from him and he knew that his powers had returned. He was alive, and all was right in the world. He could be a father to Jason, he could be part of a family, he could continue protecting the world...

He saw the sea coming closer and closer and he waited until he was almost upon it before willing himself to stop mere inches above the water and then... he was flying. Oh, god, he was flying. He reached out to touch the water and laughed. "I can fly again!" he cried joyously.

Richard was still piloting the plane, wondering how he was going to tell Lois that Superman jumped to his death, until he heard a knock on the window. Somebody was knocking on his window? At this altitude? He looked out the window and gasped when he saw Superman flying alongside the plane, waving at him. Richard waved back numbly, not believing his eyes.

"Thank you," he said, smiling at Richard. Then he put his right hand out in front of him, made a fist with the other and held it to his waist, and propelled himself at great speeds... up, up and away to greet the sun.

Back in the House

Lois was sitting in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee, worried sick about Superman. He was half dead when she last saw him and she didn't know if he was going to make it. The sun was finally up, but did he make it? Had Richard been too late? She wiped away her tears and drank more coffee. She would know soon enough.

"Good morning, Lois."

She gasped and dropped her cup of coffee. There was a loud 'crash!' as the cup shattered into a million pieces on the floor, spraying coffee all over the place. She turned toward the sound of the voice and saw Superman still in his civilian clothes, standing at the door with his arms folded across his chest, and leaning against the door frame. "Oh my god!" She quickly ran to his side, careful not to step on the shattered glass, and hugged him tightly. "You're alive!"

He held her close, smiling. "Yes, thanks to you and Richard."

"I can't believe it!" She examined him and confirmed that he really was all right. He was warm again, warmer than he'd been all day. She was so happy that she wanted to jump up and kiss him, but she stopped herself. "Can you fly?" Instantly, his feet left the floor and he hovered in front of her. She laughed, happy for him. "Good, now, don't let this happen again!"

"Oh, believe me, I won't." He'd make sure to fly to the sun every once in a while for a few days. "Well, I have to go. My mother's worried about me. I'll see you at work." He started leaving, but she grabbed his hand and held him back. "Yes?"

She thought of what to call him, and finally, it all made sense to her. Why didn't she see it before? "Clark... Don't forget to pick up your suit."

He smiled. "I won't." He looked at the mess on the floor. "Do you want me to...?"

"Oh, no, I can..." There was a blur and a gust of wind and in an instant, the mess was cleaned up and her hair was a mess. She blinked, then patted her hair back down and smiled at Clark. "Thanks. You know, that's the second coffee cup I've lost in the last twenty-four hours."

"You should be more careful with your coffee."

"Ha-ha." She smiled at him. "Bye, Clark."

"Bye, Lois."

Smallville, Kansas

Clark Kent touched down in front of the farm house after making sure that there was nobody around, then hurried to the front door, opened it, and rushed into the house to greet his mother. She had to be worried sick about him. He looked around, and he smelled... breakfast. It smelled so good. He hadn't been hungry all day, but he was definitely feeling it now.

"Clark!" Martha Kent rushed out of the kitchen to greet him and pulled him into a tight hug. "You're all right! I was so worried!"

He hugged her back. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Nonsense, I'm glad you called me. If something happened, then at least I got to say good-bye to my boy." She smiled at him, then took his hand and pulled him into the kitchen. Breakfast was already served and he felt his mouth watering. "I made you breakfast."

"Thanks, I'm starved..." He noticed the basket sitting on the table with the Suit in it. He smiled at it, then sat down to eat his breakfast.

It was going to be a good day.

**The End**

Yay! The End! I've waited so long to see those words in bold letters, and there they are! Well, it's been a fun ride. I had fun, I hope you guys had fun, but all good things must come to and end, and...

Okay, it's not really "the end" yet. I'm working on the epilogue and I hope to post it soon. With it, I hope to tie up the remaining loose ends, except for one or two loose ends in particular that I hope to explore in full in the sequel. I'm sure you know which loose ends I'm talking about...

I didn't find a place for Superman's nightmare in Chapter IX (not without making the story even longer!) but I hope to post it under a different title soon. So, you see... "The Day After" is not over yet, but it will be soon! Geez, won't this day ever end?

So, what'd you think? Love it? Hate it? Think I should quit while I'm ahead and not make a sequel, or do you guys really want one? I'm all for it if you are! After all, there are many more days left to explore in the lives of these people.

Reviews are welcome! Stay tuned for the epilogue!

-DT

P.S. That really was a Finding Nemo reference in Chapter III!


	10. Epilogue

Here it is, the true ending of "The Day After," and you guys don't know what I went through to get this thing written! I wrote the very first version in Microsoft Word when my computer literally fried, so I started from scratch in Notepad on another computer (with Windows 98!), then moved it to WordPerfect, then to OpenOffice, and finally to Microsoft Word again when I got my computer fixed. I've never gone through this many programs! But I did it for all my wonderful readers.

Well, here's the epilogue, at last. I like to call it, "A New Day," and sometimes, "The Day After Next." I've also taken a liking to calling it "Epilogue: Mark II" because of what happened to the first version. Whatever you want to call it, here it is at last!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Superman Returns  
"The Day After"**

Epilogue

Clark Kent happily made his way into the newsroom, ready for another day at work. As usual, nobody paid attention to him as he cheerfully walked to his desk. He bumped into several people along the way and he apologized each time, like he always did. People seemed to look right through him, but he didn't care. He'd been out of his coma for two days and while he had yet to regain his full strength, he was alive and healthy and that was all that mattered. He'd had a good night's sleep, he'd finally flown to the sun, and he was ready to face the future with renewed spirits as a new man.

He walked to his desk, sat down, and fired up his computer. As he waited for it to finish loading, he wondered if he'd be able to write that article Perry asked for before the boss noticed him. Just as he started wondering if anyone would notice that he would be typing his article at super-speed, and if the keyboard would catch on fire from doing that, somebody sneaked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

He spun around in his chair and saw Jimmy Olsen, smiling at him. "Jimmy!" he said cheerfully. Jimmy was one of the few people in the newsroom who seemed to know or care that Clark Kent existed. He was glad that Jimmy liked him, but he hoped that the photographer wasn't going to offer him drinks at nine in the morning again.

"Mr. Kent! Good to see you! Feeling better?"

He remembered how ill he'd looked the day before. "I feel much better, thank you."

"Good to hear. Oh, the Chief was yelling for you earlier." He pointed at the Editor in Chief's office. "Lois is already with him. You'd better get in there before he blows a fuse!"

_Well, so much for typing that article at super-speed. _ "Thanks..." he said half-heartedly as he put his computer on stand-by and made his way to Perry White's office, feeling like he was walking the last mile of his career as a reporter of a great metropolitan newspaper.

He was so worried about how to keep his job that he wasn't looking where he was going and ran face-first into the glass doors of the editor's office. Both Perry and Lois looked up at him, but they didn't seem surprised. They were probably used to him doing this on a regular basis. Finally, he got the door open after a few failed attempts, brushed himself off, straightened his tie, and stepped inside. "You called, Mr. White?" _Don't show fear... He can smell fear. _

"Yeah, Kent, come on in, sit down. Let's hear it."

He took a seat in front of the editor's desk. Lois was sitting next to him and he gave her a goofy smile and a wave. She waved back and he could tell she was trying to hide a smile. Then he remembered where he was and what was coming next. He could feel himself shrinking under the editor's gaze and he struggled not to let it show. "Uh, hear what?"

Perry glared at him, and Clark just looked down at his clasped hands and twiddled his thumbs. "Don't 'hear what' me! Yesterday morning, I asked you to write me an article about who was responsible for New Krypton. Well, let's hear your progress."

_This is it, _ he thought miserably, _the end of my career. _ "I, uh..." He looked to Lois for help, but she looked just as helpless as he did. "Well, I..." He waved a hand in the air, trying to come up with an answer, but he came up empty and dropped it. He mumbled under his breath, "I didn't start it." He cringed, bracing himself for the coming storm.

"Well, what the hell were you doing all day that was so important?!"

"I-I was... I was..." He'd spent the entire day teetering on the brink of death, that's what he was doing. He gave up on trying to defend himself and just accepted his fate. "N-Nothing."

"Oh, I see. Nothing. Well, while you were out there doing 'nothing', Lois tracked down Superman and got us an interview and the best damned article this newspaper has had in years." He held up the article, 'Justice for Superman', for Clark to see. "And you couldn't even go down to the coast and ask around? Get the word on the street? Anything?!"

"A-Apparently not, Mr. White," he said in a low voice. He could feel his entire career crumbling around him and he was helpless to defend himself. He was so tempted to just tell him that he was Superman and that the only reason he didn't write the article was because he was too busy suffering from kryptonite poisoning, but he knew it would be an incredibly stupid move.

Perry sighed deeply, shaking his head, looking so disappointed. "I've given you two chances to get out of writing the obits, and this is how you repay me? By doing nothing?!"

"I... I'm so sorry." _There goes my reputation, my job..._

"Where's that story about the blackouts I asked for?"

Clark knew how it looked, but he couldn't defend his honor without telling the truth. He couldn't tell Perry that he didn't start the story about the blackouts because he was in a coma due to massive kryptonite poisoning. So, not only did the kryptonite threaten to take his life on several occasions, but it was threatening to take his job, too. "I didn't start it either..."

"I'll tell you where the story about the blackouts is." He leaned forward menacingly, looking intimidating. "Lois got that story by risking her neck on Friday. Speaking of which, where were you on Friday?"

"I... I was..." _I was in the hospital, Chief! _

Perry didn't let him finish. "And yesterday, Lois got the story about who was responsible for New Krypton! It's right here." He held up Lois' article and smacked it with the back of his hand just for emphasis. "So, we have one reporter who has done 'nothing' ever since I gave him his job back, and another reporter who's writing the articles assigned to the aforementioned reporter! So, why did I hire you, Kent?"

"I-I don't know, Mr. White..."

"Did something happen to you during the earthquakes?"

He wanted to lie, to tell him that yes, he had been injured during the earthquakes. Perry White would've understood and given him another chance, but it just wasn't true. He wasn't anywhere near the site of the earthquakes when he was injured, and he wouldn't dream of taking advantage of the tragedy that hit Metropolis just to save his job. "N-Not really..."

"I see. Well, Kent... I can't tell you when I've been more disappointed."

Lois looked between the two men, feeling so sorry for Clark. It wasn't his fault that he hadn't been able to write those articles, and he was facing the editor's terrible wrath for it. Well, she'd already saved Superman; it was time to save Clark, too. "He was working with me!" The two men stared at her in confusion. "Yeah, he was working with me."

Perry looked from the article to Clark. "He helped you write those articles?" He couldn't believe it. "Even 'Justice for Superman'?"

"Yeah." Well, it wasn't really a lie. He did help her write the article by giving her the interview and the inspiration to write. "He helped me with the story about the blackouts." _Yeah, by saving me from drowning..._ "And I found out from Superman that Lex Luthor was responsible for growing New Krypton _and_ for what happened to him, so we decided to work together since our assignments complimented each other." Clark just stared at her in shock. "If it weren't for Clark, those articles wouldn't have been possible."

Perry White looked over the article again, disbelieving. He loved that article. It really was the best damned article he'd read in a long time. Heck, it brought tears to his eyes, although he'd never admit it and he'd vehemently deny it if anyone even suspected that Perry 'Skeletor' White almost cried. "Well, why didn't you just say so, Kent?" Clark just shrugged helplessly. "It looks like those five years you spent abroad didn't make you lose your touch after all!"

"Uh... Th-Thank you, Mr. White."

"I'll just add you to the byline, then," he said, whipping out a red pen.

Clark noticed how uncomfortable Lois looked, and he knew he'd never hear the end of it if he didn't let her have the byline. "Uh, i-it's okay." He pushed his glasses back up with his index finger. "She worked really hard for that byline. She deserves all the credit."

"Fine, then." He started putting away the red pen, but stopped and tapped his chin with it, lost in thought. "Hmm, Lane and Kent. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"What are you getting at...?" asked Lois carefully.

He looked at the article again and grinned broadly, the wheels in his head spinning. "You two make a great team. From now on, I want you to work together on any follow-up stories!" They just stared at him, jaws dropped, stunned into silence. "And after that, who knows? Keep this up and I may just make you full-time partners!"

"P-Partners?" Clark didn't know what to think. He was thrilled that Perry White liked the article so much and that he got to keep his job, but partners? He was partnering Mr. Mild-Mannered Reporter with Lois 'Mad Dog' Lane?!

"Partners?! Now wait just a minute, Perry! You can't..."

Perry would have none of that. He was on a roll, and nobody stopped him when he was on a roll. "Lane and Kent! The finest news team this paper has ever seen! Now get out of my office and go write me some articles!" They didn't move. They just sat there, glued to their chairs, as they processed this newest development. "OUT!"

They quickly left the office, not wanting to risk Perry White's wrath, especially when he was supposed to be in a good mood. Clark could tell Lois was furious, and he knew why. He'd worked with her long enough to know that she hated partners. The next few days were going to be interesting. "Uh, Lois?" He cleared his throat to get her attention. "I-I... I wanted to thank you for what you did for me. I just wanted you to know that I'll never forget it."

"Neither will I, since I'm stuck with you." She whirled around to face him and folded her arms, looking up at him. "Look, no offense, Clark. I know you're a good reporter... but I don't need a partner, and I don't want a partner."

He knew that too well. He was dealing with 'Mad Dog' Lane now, the intrepid reporter who never shared a byline, and not with the sweet Lois Lane who had taken care of him for one whole day. After all, this was business. "Well, just remember who you're working with." He gave her a knowing grin and a wink. "I think we'll make a 'super' team."

She actually laughed despite herself. What was it about his farm boy looks and innocence that turned her heart to mush? "A 'super' team, right." She was actually looking forward to working with him on a daily basis... not that she'd ever admit it to anyone, of course. However, they still had to set some ground rules. "Let's just get one thing straight here... If we're going to work together, you gotta keep up with me. I'm no tour guide and I don't hold hands. Understood?"

He smiled. "Understood."

"Come on, let's go get food, and then we'll figure out what to do about this partnership." She went back to her desk, picked up her purse, and headed for the elevators.

Clark followed her. "What would you like? I'm buying. It's the least I can do to repay you for... you know, for everything." He could afford to buy her food. That trip to Lois' house the day before set him back a few bucks, but he could buy food... for one day... either breakfast, lunch or dinner. He was on a budget. "And I won't take 'no' for an answer."

She thought it was about time that he started to be more assertive, so she let him have this one. "All right, then. I'm in the mood for pizza. How about it?"

"Pizza?" He glanced at his watch. "At 9 A.M.?"

"Yeah, with everything on it. Come on, let's go." They headed to the elevators. A few people gave her dirty looks along the way but she ignored them. She pressed the 'down' button and waited for the elevator to arrive at their floor.

"Uh, Lois? Why are people looking at you like that?"

She scoffed and folded her arms. "They didn't like that I called them at four in the morning. You wouldn't believe how angry people get about that. I mean, what's the big deal? Just answer the phone and then go back to bed."

"Well, from their point of view, you were looking to get a tan at four in the morning. I think it's understandable that they'd be a little angry."

"I did what I had to do and I have no regrets. They need to get over themselves."

Clark didn't know what to say to that. What could he say to the woman who had done so much to save his life? So, they just stood there in silence until the elevator doors opened and they made their way inside. The doors closed behind them and Lois pushed the button for the lobby, then they just watched the numbers at the top.

"So..." Clark broke the silence. "How is everyone?"

"Well, Richard collapsed in bed as soon as he got back from taking you flying." She remembered that quite vividly. Richard just stumbled back into the house, dragging a red blanket behind him, mumbling something about Superman jumping out of the plane, before going upstairs and promptly collapsing in bed. The man deserved a good, long sleep.

"I'm not surprised. He didn't sleep a wink all night." He wondered what made Richard stay up all night. What could've spooked him like that? "He's great company, even at three in the morning and wired on caffeine." It surprised him how nice Richard was to him and he wondered if that would change after Richard found out the whole truth.

"Yeah, he's a great guy." She leaned against the wall, wondering when she would find the right opportunity to tell Clark that Richard knew the whole truth about Jason. "And, well... Jason's in school. He asked for you." She smiled at the memory. "You're his hero."

He felt his spirit soar at those words. "I'm so happy to hear that." Everything he went through the day before was worth it just to know that Jason liked him. All he had to do was earn that love by watching over him and protecting him. He had to be a father and not simply a 'super-hero', and that scared him to death. _You'll get the hang of it, Clark. _

"Jason wanted to know if you'll be staying with us for a while."

"Of course..." He looked at Lois sheepishly. "If you'll have me."

She gave him a sweet smile. "Of course we'll have you."

"Thank you." He was so happy that she was letting him stay at her house. He could be close to Jason and he could get to know Richard. He wasn't ready to tell him the big secret yet, but he would soon. After all, the man saved his life and deserved to know the truth. Still, it wasn't going to be easy seeing Lois with another man, but he made his choice when he left the planet, and Lois, for five years.

"You'll have to stay as Superman, though. Did you get your suit?"

"I did." He stepped back, grinning. "I always wanted to do this in front of you."

Lois watched him in wonder and then, to her utter surprise, he took off his glasses and ripped open his shirt, revealing the "S" shield underneath. "No way!" she exclaimed in utter delight. "You wear the suit under your clothes?" _And where does he keep the cape? _

"Of course, I have to be ready for an emergency at all times."

She took the glasses from him and held them to her eyes, noticing that they weren't prescription glasses. "How did a simple pair of glasses fool me all these years?"

He buttoned up his shirt and redid his tie. "Are you still upset about that...?" he asked carefully. He wouldn't blame her if she was still upset. But at least she wasn't crying like the last time, which broke his heart every time he thought about it. It had hurt to see her like that, so much so that he had erased her memories just to take the pain away. _Soon... I'll tell her soon. _

"It seems kind of silly to be upset about that after everything we've gone through lately." She slipped his glasses back on his face, then stepped back and got a good look. "Well, your acting really sells the look, so I don't feel so galactically stupid now."

"You're not 'galactically stupid', Lois."

"I'm more upset about you eavesdropping outside my window anyway," she muttered. Then she remembered the next part of his confession that he never got to tell her. "What were you going to tell me this morning that was so important anyway?"

"Ah... uh..." He felt the elevator come to a stop. "We're here!"

The elevator doors opened and she watched as he stepped out of the elevator in a hurry. "Are you stalling?" she asked, following him out the doors and rushing to catch up with him. They went past the big blue globe at the center of the lobby and headed for the revolving doors.

Clark was definitely stalling, and with good reason, but he knew he had to stop doing it. He had to tell Lois the truth, even if she hated him for it. Maybe he would tell her the day after next, or... no, he had to tell her sooner than that. "I'll tell you everything soon, I promise."

She saw how anxious he looked and she just didn't understand it. She was convinced that whatever it was he had to tell her couldn't possibly be as bad as him eavesdropping outside their window. So, she wasn't too worried. "All right. Soon. I'll remember."

He followed Lois out the revolving doors, but he got stuck again. He pushed against the revolving doors, but they wouldn't budge. "Why does this keep happening to me?"

"Clark!!" She pushed against the doors and finally, they were out of the Daily Planet and standing outside under the sun's rays. She noticed the fruit cart and the guy yelling about fresh fruit. "Oh, look who's back. Remember him? I haven't seen him for a while."

He had been enjoying standing under the sun when he noticed the fruit cart. He worried that the sight of it would trigger her memories. She'd jumped out the window and landed in the fruit cart after he'd cushioned her fall. He felt his heart racing, but to his relief, she didn't seem to remember anything. "Uh, yes." He made sure there was nobody around listening in. "Do you want pizza from New York or Italy?" _I might as well spoil her while I still can..._

She wanted to smack him in the arm playfully for trying to spoil her rotten, but remembered that he was probably back to full power. She remembered how much her hand stung the last time she hit him. "Tempting, but I'm not going to take advantage of you." _At least not until tonight, when I send you on a food run to China..._ "We'll go to the little pizzeria about two blocks from here, Manny's Pizza."

He followed her down the street, and he briefly looked over his shoulder at the alley where that man had tried to mug them all those years ago. "No driving?"

"I feel like walking." She heard him whisper 'oh thank god'. "I heard that! And for your information, Smallville, there's nothing wrong with my driving." Clark didn't say anything, but she could tell he didn't believe her for a second. Annoyed, but still slightly amused, she picked up the pace. "Oh, let's just go..."

He enjoyed walking by her side, even if she was arguing with him. It had been so long since he'd spent time with her as Clark. "Isn't this nice, Lois? Just like old times."

"Yeah... just like old times." They used to do this all the time after work all those years ago, but she had all but forgotten about him after he left the planet. It was time to make up for it. "Well, I think it's about time I started spending more time with Clark Kent anyway."

He smiled. "I'm all yours..." Then he couldn't resist adding, "Partner."

She held up a threatening index finger in his direction. "Don't push it." He just chuckled under his breath. "Well..." She couldn't help but smile, "Look who's feeling better."

"I feel great!" he said, grinning, "It feels so good to be alive."

"I'm happy to hear that." She had been so worried about him for an entire day, and the early hours of the morning had been so excruciating, that she couldn't put into words how happy she was that he was alive and healthy. "I think yesterday was difficult for all of us, but I can't imagine how difficult it was for you."

"Difficult, yes... but worth every minute," he said, suddenly growing serious, and Lois looked at him curiously, "I have a family now. I'm not alone anymore."

"You were never alone, Clark," she said, softly.

"Never alone..." he repeated, taken aback by the feeling of belonging that those words filled him with. Maybe the search for sunlight the day before had helped him see light of a different kind. He had been in darkness, feeling utterly alone because Lois had left him for another man and the world had seemed to move on without him. The events of that day had changed all that and shown him the light, and this one burned brighter than the sun. He had a family; a legacy. He wasn't alone in the universe.

"Thank you, Lois... for showing me the light."

She smiled at the double meaning. "Anytime, Clark... Anytime."

**-Fin-**

* * *

I have a confession to make. I removed like three pages from the epilogue. It was mostly about Richard and Jason, but the epilogue was dragging and I was really struggling with the scene, which usually means that it needs to go. I couldn't risk ruining those ideas by rushing them or severely cutting them for length. So, I saved them for the sequel, where they will get the proper treatment. And speaking of which...

You guys are getting a sequel! Really, after that kind of response, how could I say no? It's called "The Kryptonite Infection" so far. I've yet to decide the format, but I know what it will be about. I'm pretty excited about it. I think you guys will like it! "But DT," you may ask, "don't we get a hint?" Yes, stay tuned for Superman's Nightmare, which will be the teaser. So... I hope you guys enjoyed the happy ending because something's going to hit the fan in the sequel! Bwahahaha!

Well, I really hope you enjoyed "The Day After"! Many thanks to all my wonderful readers who made this story possible. Sorry for all the delays and I promise I'll try to do better for the sequel. You guys deserve to have the stories out on time! You're the best. Thanks for making this so much fun.

Please review!

-DT

P.S. I'll be posting updates on my profile page every now and then, just to keep myself on track and to let you guys know my progress on the stories. Check it out if you want!


End file.
